The Inquisitor
by Marutectz552
Summary: The Imperium of Mankind has endured, an Inquisition both protects and destroys what it deems to be threats. Assets are required to consistently keep diverse threats at bay, as an Inquisitor selects an apprentice, he will be taught to merely delay an unstoppable War. Now using natural wit and unnatural sorcery, an acolyte will inevitably rise or fall to a grim galaxy called reality.
1. The Prologue

**The Inquisitor**

 **Prologue**

In the grim darkness of the future there is only war.

This is the fact I must accept despite my origins of being on a Hive-World where my own life was a mere speck of flesh and blood. I am but one human amongst the endless that thrives within the Imperium of Mankind. So in the reality of this stricken universe, I was at first nothing but another life amongst the countless of lives under the Emperor's gaze. However in time I grew apart from those numbers who did have a voice into one who gave the answers. Answers that have haunted myself for countless nights due to what I have seen in this reality.

I once said to myself when I was younger that I knew how to survive, that I knew how to live and how to earn my place to stay amongst the living. Living always seemed so difficult to do, always did it test ones self to be loyal to their cause and I know not what to think of it as something akin to a test. Did we all live to seemingly die for no ends? Did we die just to be mocked by those who rip asunder our souls? I had to withhold an urge to smile, now why would I ask myself about a reality in which that is the fate that we must face.

I myself am in constant dangers of being torn asunder by the ones who lurk in the darkest corners of the universe.

I question many things of what I have seen over my time, I have seen so many foul ilk of the Warp and the Heretical conception of those who stand against my purpose. I have seen many fall to that tainting manipulation and I have not the proper response without a power-sword to slay those who stand in my way. I am merely a servant to the power that may dictate my actions and will only will be able to command me! For I am a loyal agent to the Imperium of Mankind for which I question to discover the dangers lurking within. Now isn't that an interesting thing to say about myself and it takes me a moment to realize something.

If I am a loyal agent of the Imperium of Mankind...

Then why do I question everything that is wrong about it?

Walking down the various ally ways of the Hive-World that I had landed my ship on, my various servants and resources were merely searching for anything of notice. The heretical notions of those turning against the Imperium of Mankind are laughable but it occurs far too often. Far too common did those amongst themselves fall because it got easy to let go. My other fellows would have a field day in discovering the internal strife's that plague humanity and I have to witness so many in being destroyed. My eyes witnessed one of the lowly life prostitutes take a willing client per say, the concept was still the same to my thoughts and walk off behind a darkened portion of the alley.

If I were amused I'd say that the man taken by that woman wouldn't be clean.

So just for the coming future and for his own sake, well he'd die a slow death for such a perverse decision.

Any Adepta Sororitas I knew would certainly burn those who sullied in such acts.

Underneath this hive world where hundreds of billions if not tens of trillions of humans lived about their lives normally. None of them were worth the efforts needed by my mission and I honestly considered them all disposable if the worst came to pass. The forces of Chaos as a whole loved to infect, it thrived in causing deceit and decay of what made a society endure over the centuries. One of my Orders specialties as it were, was to sniff out and purge heretical elements within the Imperium's incomprehensible population of worlds. It was amusing to consider that the missions would never end as long as the millions of worlds all continued to endure, millions of word as a concept was staggering.

Throne of Terra did I consider myself a mad man to consider extinguishing millions of lives all over the possibility of Chaos entrenching itself?

Tapping my bolt pistol against my own temple as I pondered this while tipping my hat to conceal my face, the artificial lights within this part of the hive-city wasn't the most stable. Centuries of decay and neglect showed on the structures, a normal sight as it annoyed me to admit such a thing and this world was one of many. One of many that endured but not all of it lasted to confront the harsh truth that it was crumbling reality. Now it was again a shame as the millions called this particular spot home and many would claim otherwise to hope to battle this decaying fate. Not to mention I knew in the back of my mind they did what they could to earn a living.

A pitiful living to be more accurate as I slid amongst the shadows of the alleyway on my way towards my destination.

Perhaps it is what I get for serving the Imperium as an agent to the Emperor who sat on the golden throne and I knew not, but to follow the Imperial Creed. For it is the will of the Emperor who overlooks humanity to defend us from Chaos, Xeno and other such horrors alike. The Ruinous Powers that sought to destroy all and corrupt every last sentient life in the universe, Xenos included as much as I am loathe to admit this fact. Again I may be considered a heretic for my own thoughts, Xenos had their uses as any other human life for that matter and I was not arrogant to consider not using whatever tools were available too my will. Tools that came in all shapes or forms for my usage to complete the mission tasked before my very hands.

Some may call insane, a radically dangerous fool or perhaps a shred opportunist.

It mattered not, the means justified the ends in which I oversaw.

I have lived quite a long time to encounter War bands of Chaos, the ever persistent yet simple Orks, the mystical Eldar and their aloof nature that truly make my stomach curl in envy. Not envious of their long lives but the knowledge they hold in their hands, I have gotten a glimpse and it never looked in the Emperor's favor! As much as I am disgusted to admit this in my own thoughts, I'd never explain in public eyes or ears. The Xeno is a dangerous creature to warrant a cautious respect for even though many of my brethren do not share my sentiments. A pity but alas when they are at door in which the Emperor will judge their souls in the warp.

I will not weep for fools who do not think of the larger picture.

My legs carry me through a doorway where bloodied imprints of human hands are all over the exterior, a shame I hold no grief for idiots who dabble into heretical rituals that cause this mess and they reap the rewards for their misdeeds. Now I was a patient person for a better lack of a word, I did my duties to my utmost capability. A duty that I had grown used too and I never made mistakes in manners to damn my own soul. As much as I had it stained in the blood of heretic, innocent and Xeno alike in my quests to uphold the Imperial Creed across the Imperium's numerous worlds. I could sense a distortion in this area, a sickening yet very tempting sensation I had grown all too familiar to know what it means.

Chaos had once again infected another group of my fellow humans.

"Stupid fools."

I uttered these two words as I stepped through the doorway, it unlocked itself due to my hands easily accessing the panel that kept the gears in that position and it took a few moments. My earlier investigations bore the fruit in which I could access the lower entrances across this hive-city with little trouble, plus my own authority made things smoother than necessary. Glorious perks that the Emperor attained to our Order so many millennial ago, I honestly never considered it a tool unless such an occasion made that perspective appear in my gaze.

Walking down the hall, I noticed all seemed to be normal.

But to anyone else they'd be ignorant of the facts.

Blood leaked underneath the various doors locked, the distant screams of agony and praise made my stomach twist in disgust. So once again I had to purge out this miniscule incursion, Emperor willing did this task be quick and utterly satisfying to purge out these heretics. Absently I cocked back my bolt pistol into a ready position to fire away, my eyes took in the various symbols of eight pointed stars starting to line the walls with various other scripts aligning the surfaces. I sighed shaking my head at these idiotic foolish people for even delving into the dangers that always pertained to the taint of Chaos. I held no pity for those who willingly embraced the taint of such fowl disgusting ways.

The power sword in hand hummed as I activated its source, if I had been younger or perhaps more arrogant then I'd not expect numerous corpses line the floor. They were torn apart in the most inhumane ways that even not the Emperor on the golden throne would appeal too, Emperor willing, I'd say most Adeptus Astartes weren't this brutal considering their zeal was their own weaponry at times. Oh such brutality that were sent in my mind as I recalled the Blood Ravens, I also had met with their brother chapter of the Dark Angels were amongst my memories and I best not forget the Ultramarines whose feats were quite impressive. Well impressive enough to know that they weren't all bravado in any case.

"Amusing."

I stated that to no one with a small smile on my lips.

Although I still preferred my own experiences amongst the Death Korps of Krieg on one mission of mine, very dedicated souls to their missions and purposes. I had a small sardonic smile to remember how bloody things could get within the gaze of the Emperor, his will worked in ways that protected but it never was doubtful to have a loaded firearm for good measure. I sounded paranoid, but it again was for good intentions for the most part. However my senses caught wind of praises and prayers to make my eyes harden all the more easily.

"Blood for Khorne!"

"Leave no flesh unscratched for the Blood God!"

Moving around a corner I came to bare witness two cultists of some kind stabbing wildly into a third body, a woman if I could tell of her chest was now stripped bare of flesh and her abdomen vertically slashed open. I narrowed my eyes briefly to see the unborn fetus of a child at her feet, her eyes were wide and dull, death was a mercy despite the circumstances that she must have experienced. I twitched my jawline to rush forward with my blessed power sword stabbing forward to cut into the heretic's flesh.

"Perish you foul creatures, may the Emperor judge your souls and crush them into vestiges of the warp that your Dark Gods dwell in."

One went down without a single thought, I torn through his heart and shot him point blank in the the face. Blood, brain matter and flesh all marred my face briefly as I spun around to kick the other into the wall. I tipped my cap to intone a silent prayer to the dead pregnant woman, even as I rammed my weapon into the downed cultists neck to decapitate his sorry excuse of a face. I glared briefly to see his head roll onto the ground just a mere foot away from my boots, I felt disgusted that he felt no pain other than a quick death.

Pitiful on my part, but I had no time to linger on delivering judgment on these heretics.

Walking forward I crushed the head with a stern step, I may not have the pleasure in delivering these foul heretical scum into the depths of the Warp but I would not fail in my task. Purging out this small cult would be a blessing of the Emperor's grace for this world to avoid something rather common amongst my order. I'd have to consider calling an Exterminatus if this taint were to spread beyond what it had already done. I honestly had no qualms in annihilating this planet if it came to pass, the price of one world against the dozen or more within this system would be at stake if I did not cleanse this heretical infection.

The Symbols of Chaos glowered in a light not natural to the mortal realm, I could detect the faint traces of darkened air trickle as I moved further inwards. The halls were bathed in red and body parts littered the ceiling to be hung like twisted decorations as one welcomed another into their home. I felt nothing but contempt for these foul ridden bastards that would feel my wrath, my eyes burned briefly as power surged within my veins as my natural abilities took a hold.

As a psyker I had the privilege to use my mind as my own greatest weapon.

And it never failed me in my times of need.

Inhaling deeply I could taste the foul energies on the tip of my tongue, a sweet yet sickening feeling floated over my body and I winced. Chaos taint that manifested hide its true intentions with the aroma of something tempting a man, or woman for that matter. Mere words were not enough to comprehend what any mortal felt when encroaching upon a tainted Chaos ritual, stronghold or even summoning for once a pact had been made. Reality bent towards the force of the Warp and now force aside from the Holy rites of purification did its work to banish these foul atrocities.

Idly my power-sword lay pointed downward as I kept my bolt pistol pointed ahead of my position.

I heard discharges of a firearm around the bend, my hearing picked this up as the sound of feet hitting the metallic floor came upon my senses and I had to keep my eyes trained ahead of me. I waited for seconds to pass as I heard a shotgun of sorts fire away, panting came next in the form of a crying little body being flung across in front of my vision.

Stopping roughly five meters, I looked upon a bruised and tearful teenage boy with a crude shotgun of sorts in his trembling grip. He looked so fragile and distraught, it caused maternal feelings to arise within my breast and I had to withhold an urge to frown. Hormones within my own body certainly had a time for envy and hopeful futures entwine, a pity for myself yet again. So I held my position with my sidearm drawn to the side to watch what came next.

And it certainly caused me to raise an eyebrow at what I witnessed.

" **Why** **do you run, I just want your blood** **to be spilled. I promise it won't** **hurt** _ **much!**_ "

A gargled twisted voice spoke up to send a shiver up my spine, this was the voice of a daemon that had been summoned into a vessel of flesh and blood. If this were a full manifestation then the entirety of the area would bend into a hellish visual of the Ruinous Powers from whence it was spawned. Curiously enough my caution warranted to watch as the teenage boy hissed back fearful but yet his tone held a strength of hatred to match any pure agent of the Imperium of Mankind. Well now, what an interesting trait I never shared with others of my own Order.

Hatred so righteously issued...

All made myself do was to form a grin.

"FECK YOU! YOU KILLED JANE!"

I withheld that moment to chuckle, oh did the poor little one already lost someone? He was among many and beyond many more to count to have such a fate bestowed upon him. I stood there watching with a growing interest as my mind prickled when I saw the first signs of the daemon's host, I had to inwardly conceal my discomfort. It started when a meat like arm with no skin appeared to stretching out and exposing the muscle underneath. Horns of some kind were sticking along the forearm and the full depravity of this cult summoning as I inwardly summoned my power.

A shotgun shell erupted as it exploded the arm as the gurgled voice laughed too happily.

" **Come now, the God of Blood will welcome your rage against his foes! You have potential unlike those other fledglings, Khrone will reward thee with power and glory to your souls content child!"**

I noted that the boy was crying, it wasn't a shame he didn't look no older then twelve or something of that number. It was remarkable how defiant he was despite the terror radiating off his little form at the face of a daemon. Rather commendable in my opinion but I wondered how far he'd go to resist that daemon's hosts words, I knew many other lesser willed men would've agreed to turn. Not to mention his little green eyes were desperate to look away but I could tell, if he took his eyes off it'd be his death, a very astute assumption and that wasn't a sign of cowardice in any right.

"You killed Jane...you killed her...I HATE YOU!"

Both sets of teeth were clenched so viciously I noted he had some blood leaking down, now possibly due to biting the inside of his mouth to refuse to scream. Not out of fear as I sensed, but out of sheer hate for an enemy he was facing down that he had no hope to destroy. An interesting prospect no doubt, so if any child in that position had nothing to attain for such a result. At least not being able to banish this foul entity back into the warp with a parting gift of a blessed weapon, now I couldn't help but think about this for a moment. His screams were so potent that even I had to abstain from laughing.

It was so full of hatred for the right reasons and on top of that, I sensed the very air around him shimmer as if it were heated.

I could sense an invisible steam arose around his frame that most would not be able to witness if they had no talents in the arts of sorcery to be a pskyer.

Again an interesting prospect, I distinctly heard the foul warp entity chuckle, " **Hate me? Oh you poor delusional child, your powers will be an excellent addition to our horde. Your soul will make my hunger go away for a time, the Blood God desires such tenacity in his servants!"** I witnessed the full body of the daemon host step forward into my gaze, any humane body parts were melded together as more than one corpse had been fused for a better lack of a word. Fused together to form this hunched back visage akin to a mutant, no I was being too lenient to say such a comparison. Oh I felt so disgusted at that sight, the horns aligning the arms and legs like a mockery of a pure warrior and I could see the faces of the dead twisting in agony along its rib cage.

God-Emperor willing I'd banish this wretched thing back into its spawn pit and burn its corpse into the cosmos!

I noted however that the boy put on a face mixed with defiance and utter loathing, "Then eat this you fecking bastard!"

I watched as the youngster literally ran up to the daemon host and smashed the shotgun under its chin as he pulled the trigger to fire the last two shells within the weapon, it gave a prominent click when it emptied and he ran towards me without evening looking. I smirked a bit while standing there to see the partially headless daemon host stumble in its tracks. Oh it wouldn't be long before that thing regenerated its skulls since nothing human remained within that abomination and I had to thumb my holy bolter pistol with its ammunition. At least the little one had a mind to flee when the daemon's host had to reform its physical state, I knew pain could do the trick at times.

Soon enough to my prediction the daemon host stood upright and a bubbling mass of flesh start to form a face with a sickening smile laced on its expression.

I praised the Emperor knowing this wasn't a full manifestation so the risk were generally lower, but the danger was all the same. Daemons were never to be underestimated or one would pay with their life to fail at such a task, or even worse the price would be their soul. The boy ran quickly away from the regenerating form of the daemon's body, oddly enough I had an opportunity to get out of his way but I allowed my body to remain still. If there was a time where I had feeling of hopeful endeavors this had been the most unforgiving circumstances I'd had known to date and the Emperor must have had a sense of humor.

Again I pitied myself to allow these maternal hindrances plague my thoughts.

I felt a small body impact my waist as the youngster cried out in shock to land on his behind, I casually looked down to stare at a pair of green eyes in shock and terror. The terror if he had found himself caught by another being that would kill him, partially true if I wanted too in the first place. I chuckled out loud drawing the attention of the boy who trembled speaking out, it was almost adorable how sturdy his voice was when I compared it too...

Compared it to Imperial Guardsmen or Commissars, or the occasional Planetary Governor as they all quaked in their questions when asking I, the authority that only the Emperor could command. I was the authority to judge, to decide and to ultimately carry out fate itself. The Imperial Creed guided my hands and I guided my actions to purge out Daemons infesting the Imperium of Mankind for it was what my purpose was in this darkened universe.

"W...Who are you?" He asked fearfully while cradling the now spent firearm, I doubted he knew it had anymore shells left inside its loading chamber and it was a shame, I'd consider him to use it against me. While useless to an extent, I witnessed that spirit of rage within his eyes. It was were more then enough to make it commendable as always but I answered casually.

My jacket shifted when I revealed the Rosette that I carried on my chest, a red numeral of Holy Terra that had a skull in the center.

"That is not the question you should be asking me, little one. In fact I'd pay attention to what I have to say in the next minute or so." I spoke this quite bemused as the boy looked naturally confused, a pity that he showed more courage to face me directly than most men three times his age. I wondered if the Emperor wanted me to meet this boy or somehow come across him, well to have him come before me and to judge him. Such was the duty of one in my station and I had no qualms in eying the daemon's host standing on its malformed two feet.

I had to rectify such a state for it to endure a holy fire.

He screamed at me without a care in the world, "What do you want from me!"

My eyes briefly flashed a bright white to make the child step back, a wise choice.

I merely gestured to him in order to stem my trigger finger, "It is not I who seeks something from you, but its you, yourself that must decide for what you need. Do you seek retribution or death?" The boy looked over his shoulder to see the abomination hiss out angrily at having to regrow a skull where I'd assume one its brains were located at, it'd be a bothersome chore to play a guessing game like trying to hunt down a cloaked Lictor of the Tyranid menace. The temperature of the hallway arose enough to where I tipped my cap to hide my face so that I'd dare not stare at the foul daemon host for I might lose control to purge it without a cause.

"I...I don't understand! We have to run from that...that thing! It won't die!"

Here I smiled almost gently to lean forward to make the boy rear back as if I were a daemon in the flesh. An irony I was more of a terror as a human than the abomination currently staring us down, pride was a devious thing to have when a child consider you the real monster but fear corroded truth in order for pride to flourish. Sighing internally I needed to set the record straight, for the Emperor protects those who believe in him and I had to set this child on a path needed for _positive_ support.

"Everything dies eventually, little one. It's just a matter of finding the right facts and circumstances to inflict such an outcome, so that Retribution is all the more sweeter when a horror is banished back into it's festering hole." I stated almost casually to someone whose heard of my thoughts on the matter.

I noticed the boy was looking at me with expression akin to...

Disbelief?

Whatever the case was I had his attention and that is what mattered, I had to perform a small test in order to gauge this youngsters potential for which my mind considered and I was almost believing myself to be a heretic. Why would I consider saving a child and have him molded into a weapon, when I myself had no need for Acolytes for example. It was laughable but instincts were more than fulfilling to see what laid within this small child. "Do you seek vengeance, or do you seek to flee? Flee and to die helplessly like those already within this place."

The youngster I noticed, had bit his lip as tears streamed down his face."It killed Jane! It killed her to satisfy Arneb, he told me and Jane that'd we get paid if we helped him with a job. He spoke words and then something came out from inside him!" I raised an eyebrow to hear the agony inside his voice, I knew it had to be sub-par attempt at summoning a daemon beyond the veil of reality. I had to commend the stupidity of who summoned that foul monstrosity ahead of us, blood sacrifices managed to get some attention and I had to take account how many it'd do to get something like that.

"I...I want it dead! I want to kill it! Please!"

I glanced down again partially smirking.

"TELL ME HOW TO KILL THAT FECKING THING!"

I smiled all too happily, well this was such an eager child that wanted to know things he could simply do if he had the right education. I would have started to explain but I first had to buy a few minutes to properly assist this youngster in the best way possible, directly intervention. Placing a hand onto my belt I activated a grenade that hummed alive creating a beeping sound as I looked up a bit bored to see the stalking daemon hiss out angrily at my presence.

The jawline wasn't even remotely human anymore.

" _A frag should do the trick, for now."_

Pulling the boy aside I flung the primed explosive device and manged to whirl around to have him pressed under my chin as I stared at the abomination which caught the object. I smirked when it hissed out in confusion as to what it did, apparently the youngster had blown out a few brain cells that were once human and now it was a mindless beast. I felt the child cling to me out of sheer desperation despite the circumstances in him wanting to kill this daemon host, definitely a new sensation to have a child grip to waist line as my coat encircled him briefly.

The grenade had a three second delay.

And I mentally counted along with the Emperor's blessing.

An explosion rocked the entire hallway as a horrid screeching came to my ears, I had shielded the boy from harm as shrapnel barely came close to our position and my armor merely did its duty. Occasionally chips of metal fell off the ceiling as I surveyed the damage, it wasn't too much as I thought of it sadly. Pieces of flesh were spewed over the walls, I saw bone and organs pulsating to where I sensed the daemon's sorcery at work.

The host daemon started to pull itself back together literally.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully, little one."

I intoned this sternly as the boy looked up at the base of my waist, his eyes were watery but fine nonetheless. I could tell he was looking at me in awe now, a flattering thought for sure but I wanted to make sure my instincts weren't lying to me in the least. If this youngster wanted retribution, he'd have to learn that the price for that type of power would be costly and I'd have to collect the fee for assisting him in this little petty scheme for revenge.

I back tracked a bit. Now it was petty for me to think such things, he had yet to succeed. In the end I just smiled, "In order for you to slay your friend's killer, you need to face that fear head on so you can understand that it can die. Do this first and foremost, fear may be natural but it does not rule you as courage can be gained to face your fears."

Slowly I turned him to face the half blown apart daemon host, it struggled mightily shouting a language of its dark origins and I barely understood a word or two. Being apart of the Order I felt the need to be aware of what my enemies and prey spat out in their rages, it wasn't a pleasant thought to be cursed by a daemon who was on the verge of being banished to the Immaterium yet again. Carefully I sheathed my power sword to lay a hand on his shoulder, I needed to channel my own ability to prematurely jump start this youngster's weaponry locked away within his mind.

"Are your eyes closed?" I asked calmly as I heard the boy mumbled, "Yes."

Looking forward I raised my bolt pistol to unleash four shots to blow apart one of legs for good measure, the daemon host screeched beyond anything humane as the blessed rounds fizzed into its flesh to began eating away akin to acid and I smirked, such a wonderful display. The Emperor protects but again does it never say it is wrong to keep the Holy weapons on your person for usage. So I eased my firearm to the side to have the smoking barrel ease its heat, I think I was having too much fun with this and it'd be all the more sweeter to realize what I was doing.

The youngster had flinched when I fired close to his ear, a simple endurance test as his eyes were still closed. Briefly I spoke up to ward off the concern, "I want you to use your hatred as a weapon. A weapon you can unleash on your foes, for your own sake, so imagine a burning sensation within your head and pull it to the surface. Use your hate as a means to demand retribution in the holy fires to purge this abomination and take vengeance for your loved one. Imagine heat and fire at the base of your finger tips."

My eyes glow white briefly to inject my pskyer signature into him briefly as the boy shuddered when he did as he was told, I had admit he was such an obedient little one and I felt his body subtly shift. My gaze looked a bit shocked to see the little one raise the shotgun in a manner of a trance, I understood why. He needed a familiar object to transfer his potential, so my hand gripped his shoulder as his smaller frame trembled when I felt the temperature of the air grow hotter. The weapon started to have smoke arise from its barrel, I noted how this little one was channeling that sensation of heat into the weapon and it showed. Smiling at such a creative way to discover control through feeling.

I whispered harshly the words to allow him to unleash the flames of retribution to banish this foul ilk of daemon sorcery into the Warp and fulfill his wish of destroying his loved one's killer. A righteous hatred given the form of flames to cleanse the taint of Chaos. "Now open your eyes and see your enemy, the daemon. Imagine it burnings and hate it with all your heat, to burn it alive! Show no mercy for it slaughtered your friend Jane, imagine her face as you watched it tear her asunder and let the flames of vengeance come forth in a Holy Retribution little one..."

His form trembled as he hissed out in pain, the shotguns barrels were reddish white.

So close yet so far...

"Burn the daemon, child"

The boy whimpered as his eyes remained tight with tears leaking down his face to hiss into steam as it hit the weapon in his hands. I could feel that potential burning within him like an inferno, such power from an untrained child on his no named world, it was simply magnificent as I continued to push him. That raw emotion was there to influence his need for vengeance, I allowed my training to guide his soon to be retribution.

" **You have no power here! That child is** _ **mine**_ **you wretched whore!"**

I looked up smiling at the host of the daemon as it gurgled at sensing the massive build up of psychic energies and I merely told the boy. His eyes were clenched so fiercely as he remembered the screams, the pain, the heart wrenching agony and that sheer enraged feeling of wanting to protect his friend. It was so cute that I hissed out vindictively to give him that push to unleash the Emperor's wrath through his gift of the Warp's own strength.

"Burn it child. Burn it now or forever know you have failed in avenging your friend's death, forever knowing you are nothing more than a _coward_ and a _worthless_ piece of flesh who can't deliver on his wishes."

My words had an effect on him.

"No..."

He whispered so vehemently I smirked, "What did you say?"

The boy looked up with his eyes closed as I grinned all the more interested. My hand through its gloved fabric burned enough to sizzle the leather and metallic plates in a show of steam, my skin remained cool as my energy kept him focused on picturing the target on hand. Emperor bless me for my efforts were taking effect without as much as myself moving a hand to banish this creature, I could only imagine what he'd do with a proper education. It'd be a waste for the Black Ships of my Order to find him and keep him locked away to be used at the base of the Golden Throne. I have taken an interest in a child before this instance and it was rather hypocritical of me to realize I had passed up on latent psykers beforehand.

They all met their fates viva the Black Ships, or the end of power sword rammed into their chest cavity to put them out of their miseries.

"I...I...will...not..."

Watching interestedly as the boy lifted his empty shotgun with the barrel an angry red and orange as my eyes lifted to see the daemon roar out in rage. Its vocal cords were mending the damage on its host and it screeched as the impasse of energy peaked in the form of this little one, I was merely directing his hatred as a weapon.

" **How can a child manifest such a firestorm without guidance! I will not be banished, I WILL NOT!"**

Fear.

That word do itself credit as the inhumane eyes of the host widened as the boy opened his eyes to see his adversary.

Both green orbs were nothing more than a pure cyan with steam licking away on the sides, the tears still fresh as he trembled with so much anger did he point the charged weapon at the daemon. I smiled as my instructions were followed the letter, such imagination to have an intense heat being instilled in that dormant weapon and that was only the tip of the spear when it came down to infusing psychic energies to combat the horrors of the Warp.

"I...will not fail Jane...I will..."

The boy paused for one moment as he leveled the weapon and I braced him with my other hand knowing what came next.

"I WILL NOT FAIL TO KILL YOU! FOR JANE!"

The trigger was pulled as a wave of white fire shot forward like a combi-flamer used by the blessed soldiers of the Imperium as heat and light combined to cause an inferno firestorm with the daemon screeching. The boy yelled out so loudly his knees buckled under the power being exerted onto his body and I withstood completely steady with my brim of my hat concealing my face's smile. Metal and stone burned under this child's potent rage, I could only inhale happily enjoying that smell of burning flesh of a foul ilk of a daemon. The daemonic screeching ceased within a moment as the boy collapsed in front of me and passed out into a merciful unconsciousness.

Fire ceased spewing from the shotguns muzzle as metal burned so hotly it lightly began to melt.

So I kicked the weapon to the side to allow it too cool off.

I stood over the prone form of the boy as fire licked away at all before us, I saw flesh becoming blackened charred remains to crumble into dust. One host for a daemon on its partial manifestation had been eliminated and the main threat had been eliminated. I didn't even have to break a sweat, my how very kind of this boy. Really I was impressed such a display of power could be handled even though I used my own signature to stimulate the response, it was a clear indication if he was given the right training and education he'd be an asset for the Imperium to cleanse its population of these foul daemon cultists.

Kneeling down I placed a finger near his neck, the youngster was alive and breathing heavily as if he sprinted a gauntlet of a mile. Otherwise he was fine and in workable condition. Absently I blinked when felt a trace of burned dust hit my face and I wiped it away easily. Just then my Vox communication came to life, crackling as I heard an update from my subordinates, " _My lady, we've just destroyed a group of heretics and the rest of my Storm Troopers are en-route to your position. The area is secured and we're awaiting your orders."_

I responded naturally to do a sweep and to destroy all traces of this small cult, no need to linger since the threat was neutralized. There was still so many numerous situations like this and all I had to do was continue onwards, for an Inquisitor's work was never finished regardless of the situation, "Plant melta-bombs in all key areas, no traces of we were ever here. Level the building and prepare for a new arrival, lieutenant."

My Vox crackled as the trooper spoke up, " _Acknowledged mam. May I inform the rest of the retinue to prepare for a new member?"_

I smirked, "Negative. This is more personal, it sees I have found my own suitable Acolyte for the Inquisition's Ordos Malleus to take under my wing. So rendezvous on my location immediately and prepare to go off world. We have more infestations to root out, Lieutenant."

" _By your orders Inquisitor Tartarus."_

The Inquisitor ceased her Vox's communication as she looked down at the boy who was breathing steadily.

But unlike before did she notice a detail on his face that made her interested.

He had a smile on his face with the tears still falling.

And was the sign of a future daemon hunter if she ever said such a thing.

 **End Prologue**

 **Author's Note:** This has been a very long time coming, I'm an avid Fan of Warhammer 40K and to be fair I only got into it about a year two ago. Seriously, I've read mainly Imperial Guard books which by far are my favorites hands down. As much as I hate the High-Gothic (Astra Militarum) name, I don't use it and to be fair it doesn't sound right to me at all regardless of legal issues. However I do like the Inquisition just as much, I really wanted to expand myself to go from waiting on stories on the sidelines and I figured to do this little project of mine.

I play Dawn of War 2 Retribution w/Elite Mod, so I consistently see the urge to write out what I wish too and to honest who wouldn't? I'm getting into table top but it's damned expensive to really get into it, so slow progress on that front but overall this story is about the Rise of a New Inquisitor of the Imperium of Mankind. Honestly they control so much at their whims and the fascination of seeing one start from a humble yet realistic origin (for Warhammer 40K I'm giving this a light note) for such a grim distant future. So I have time to mess around and to see where I want to go with this type of thing.

So I really want reviews/feedback since I'm a bit iffy with the Lore as a Whole, so by means correct me and do what you need inside said reviews please.


	2. Chapter I

**The Inquisitor**

 **Chapter One**

I groaned when I tried to move my hands to my face, all I felt was pain. Pain that seemingly wanted to lick its familiar feeling at my nerves and all I could do was blink blearily. Why did it hurt to breathe and why did my mouth feel so dry that I couldn't feel my own tongue? I felt like a lead weight and all I could do was grovel like some grox waiting to get slaughtered. Just what happened to me to make me feel like this? I hadn't felt like this since forever.

Well not since Jane...

My eyes snapped open wide as I suddenly bolted upwards to inhale deeply, " _Jane! That bastard and his job offer to pay us! She was ripped apart and I screamed, unable to do anything to help her! I ran and I left her to die there."_

I coughed violently trying to breath heavily as my eyes blinked several times to get the incrustation out from the corners. I usually got that from sleeping too long and I had to fight down tears. Jane was dead and I had no one to blame but myself! I prayed to the Emperor for forgiveness because I was a coward to to see her die! I watched her spine being torn out and all I could do was scream in horror. To watch that nightmare player over and over again because I was unable to do a damned thing! I wanted to punch something senseless and just scream until I was done.

Biting my lips as tears were forming when I looked up to see a metal wall.

And I promptly looked around in confusion.

" _Where am I? This isn't the sub-hive, none of the beggars live in a place clean as this and none of the crime men work here. So where the feck am I?"_

I found myself wrapped up in sheets on a bed within a small metallic room, I saw some sort of clock above my doorway and it seemingly had the time for some planet. It was the time I was used to seeing back down in the Hives and had to guess based on the sun that was barely visible in the mucky cloud clover in the upper tiers of the city. I clenched my fingers to see several pillows bracing my head or what were pillows. They seemed to be stuffed cases but it was so much comfortable than using boxes to sleep under at night.

Especially when the rain hurt your skin.

Apart from that several switches for lights were on the wall leading into a shower room? I didn't know what to make of that and it was small, but large enough for me to believe it'd be amazing to have running water. I felt so thirsty that it hurt to think of anything else as I rushed out of the bed into the small room to see a sink of some kind. I couldn't help but press the button to have water gushing out in a clear form and it wasn't saturated with dirt! I smiled for a moment before cupping my hands to start drinking feverishly and it took me several moments to be sated.

I witnessed a cloth of some kind hanging next to the wall and I used it to wipe my face dry. It felt so good to taste water without chemicals or dirt being laced in my teeth, I had to breathe a few moments to have my fast beating heart to calm down and I relaxed.

Really I had to continuously ask myself where was I?

All I remembered apart from Jane was myself running...

"Running into a lady? She wore a hat and a coat, then it was hot. It hurt yet it felt good while it was hot." My head started to throb painfully and I winced at the pressure being exerted in my mind. I wanted to fall to my knees when I tried to ignore this sensation but it only got worse. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop any screams as I gnashed my teeth together to start walking towards the bed again. Why did it hurt? Why did my head hurt this much and just why in the feck did my eyes feel hotter than a fire in a barrel?

I couldn't help what came next in a tidal wave of fire and voices.

" _Inquisitor's orders to keep this room under guard."_

I gasped out in shock to hear some man's voice in my head and it came from beyond the wall with the clock hanging on the door. Why did it sound like this person wasn't trying to hurt me yet I could hear him like he was talking right next to me? All I felt was a sense of _ease_ or _confidence_ knowing that he was watching over me? What was happening to me? I was hearing voices clearly not my own and I knew for a damned moment, I hadn't heard them beforehand!

" _We'll be traveling to another system, Emperor willing it won't effect our Warp-Drive."_

Warp?

What did that word mean? I had never heard of it and I could only blink uncomprehendingly at the voices entering my head. It hurt to listen and it hurt to understand things I didn't ever hear of, it honestly made me want to scream so much to make it stop! I wanted it to stop and I had grit my teeth together so hard that it hurt. My fists clenched when I heard screams coming next and it only served to get me angrier more so than I what I had ever felt. What in the name of the Emperor was happening to me?

Screams of pain?

Joy?

Surprise?

I heard them all in one influx of noise and I wanted to cry so much, it hurt to understand why I was hearing all this now. It was so quiet before and I liked it, so quiet to look around to know where I was in the first place. I snarled inwardly doing what I could to block my ears to stop these voices, it barely did anything other than make things _louder_ and I started to have tears drop to the cold metal floor. I wanted it to stop, it hurt to listen to so many things and I didn't have a clue as to what I was actually hearing. It got worse as the influx of voices seemingly overran my mind, I could hear so many yet unable to recognize what was what!

Shaking my head I screamed so loudly I swore it shook the entire room, "STOP IT! STOP TALKING!"

Breathing violently through my nose I had to do something other than hear those voices, they grew in tempo as I fell flat onto the floor. My ears were on fire as people were speaking to me almost as if they were on top of me and I begged to the God Emperor to please spare my mind from torment. I knew of the Emperor who sat eternally on his Golden Throne on Holy Terra but I was never an advert believer in that creed thing the others were into. It seemed like my ears were going to burst as I heard more voices etch themselves onto my skull. It was like my brain was being crushed from the inside out, I wanted to scream so loudly that I'd tear my own throat up in the process!

I distantly heard foot steps, but was it merely my imagination now?

"Find a stim and get him to the infirmary! He's going to rupture the hull if things get anymore violent!"

I swore I heard someone screaming as I curled into a fetal position to ward off the agony inside my head, I wanted to die and just let go. It hurt to think and I had nothing but my heart thundering as my eyes were squeezed shut. Tears came down my face in hot rivulets of water, it hurt so badly to even think and I wanted to scream again to shut out the voices. It only got worse when I tried to shake my head in a futile attempt to stop them.

"Stand aside. Now!"

Vibrations rang in my ears since I was flat against the cold metallic floor.

" _Boy."_

My eyes cracked open when a calm yet stern voice of a woman entered my hearing. I felt my body seemingly react in a manner when Jane had a comforting thing to say, I desperately ignored every single voice repeating themselves into my head. Why did it hurt so much to listen? Why did it hurt to fecking breathe every second I tried to resist the sounds? I could stand this much noise and every second only echoed their tones to make get an agonizing headache. My head started to throb in where it hurt, I begged anything since I wanted it to stop so badly now!

" _The more you get worked up, the more potent your thoughts become when picking up on those not like yourself. If you want to stop hearing those voices, do what I tell you. Now!"_

I whimpered agreeing to do whatever the woman wanted me to do, I just wanted to hear normally for Emperor's sake!

" _I need you to think of anything to calm yourself down, it can be whatever you need it to be. Just listen to my voice and understand, the calmer you are than the voices can be blocked out as long as you remain in control of your emotions."_

I thought of the tavern I used to go when I went with Jane, the lower hive wards were filled with people laughing and smiling as I remembered every detail. The sweet smell of cooked grox, the tangy taste of drinks that always made my stomach tingle warmly and I always remembered the nice man who gave me scarps of food, when I helped him work. I took in every detail as I held my eyes so tight that it hurt to even open them now, I wanted to stop the voices and I obeyed what I was told to do. It took me seemingly forever to do what I had been told, the woman who I heard seemingly held a firm tone to inspire me.

" _That's it. Use your mind as one who uses a bolter, learn it and once you master the weapon, then you as the master will become more effective as it's wielder. Continue to think of that calming picture, do not become frightened or scared when you start to hear the voices come back. For they are merely projections of minds that are not as_ _ **keen**_ _as yours. Do you understand?"_

I shivered when the woman told me that the voices were coming back, but I had to trust her to seemingly know what was happening to me. I exhaled deeply trying to calm the shaking inside my chest, but all it did was seemingly entice the woman to chuckle. I was scared, I was scared so badly and I had no idea what in the Emperor's name was happening to me! This was completely unreal that it was almost impossible for me to accept as the whispers came back. It was faint like they were far away but they were receding into a silent serenity once again.

Voices that were muted but still around me, "Emperor's blood! The kid's calmed down."

My eyes snapped open when I heard that person speak, a hand was on my shoulder gripping me tightly enough to warrant my gaze and when I did look over at who was exactly touching me. I had to blink in shock, really I couldn't believe what I was seeing and it merely made my mouth drop as I witnessed someone I'd had never seen before at all.

A female voice stated rather straight forwardly, "I see you've regained your senses. I will not be as understanding next time, little one."

The woman who spoke held a powerful stance that I couldn't help but tremble when her eyes trailed over my quivering form. Eyes that were nearly blue yet greenish in nature, it seemed almost like a polished mirror as she adjusted her coat and I noticed a carapace armor of sorts. It formed around her body as some sort of belt with skull like seals were laced within its surface. Honestly I felt uneasy staring at that skull if I were to say anything to anyone. Not to mention a chained book of sorts hitched itself onto her hips with a weapon, a pistol of some-kind and it didn't look friendly in the least.

Her hat hid blond strands of hair, Jane had hair like that and that made me wince in silent grief. I nearly missed out on what this woman said next, "Do not cover before my gaze boy. It'd be a disgrace to have an Acolyte of the Ordos Malleus cower before his teacher, so wouldn't you agree?" Her tone left no room for me to interpret the amusement yet that wasn't what bothered me. I grew up in the under-city of the hive towers, so what in the Emperor's name did that mean? Half of those words were completely foreign to me and I wasn't an idiot like some of the beggars back home on the streets.

I blinked dumbfounded when I thought, " _What does that mean? Ordos? Acolyte?"_

" _It means what it states, boy. I did not use you merely from my good will, as rare as I do allow it, yet there is a purpose that you will now serve. A purpose worthy of this little awakening of your mind and I have all the right to conscript a tool."_ Instinctively I flinched at the sudden voice that resonated within my head, it seemed like an echo of sorts and it freaking me out!

Where in the living abyss did that come from? Before I realized I was looking at the person front of me. This was the woman I was looking at as her eyes were staring at me lazily now. She seemingly wasn't fascinated with my own shock at how casual in how she addressed me, I had no idea such a thing was possible and it was scary. Really it was scary as I shuddered unconsciously as the woman let a small smirk etch itself onto her face. I guess she found my thought of her funny or something, I had no clue.

"Many have called me fearsome boy, but none have claimed to stare me in the eye and say that. However time is short before my ship enters the Warp, so on your feet, now." She pulled me by the shoulder as I winced from the tenderness my body still held. Her grip wasn't gentle although I knew it wasn't rough because I knew that it could have been worse. I'd say she just did it so intently enough to get my attention and I tried to speak, I got stopped immediately when the woman waved her hand.

"Save your questions until our first lesson, for now just shut up and follow me, you need more suitable clothes for an Acolyte." The woman easily moved away, I had to take a few seconds to honestly realize what exactly was happening to me here. It wasn't easy to just accept whatever I knew was over, which was much to be fair but, it just sucked for a better lack of a word. My hand rubbed my forehead as I watched the lady simply move towards a door that slid over to the side. Her eyes looked back at me expectantly and without a care in the world.

I guess it was my motivation to move, I had no choice in that senses either. In the end I just muttered a simple, "Yes, mam."

Her eyes were amused for whatever reason I knew not, she held the door open for me as I walked next to her and I realized my head was only at her hip. I felt short, shorter then necessary but I didn't have the gourmet foods that the upper hive folks had at their tables, plus having greasy grox or substitutes made eating daily hard. I waited with a dull yet resigned expression, the woman easily moved down a hall of sorts and I followed without much choice yet again.

Although I almost tripped myself when I saw half a dozen black clothed and armored soldiers of some kind. They wore respirator like masks and helmets whose eyes were watching me intently. I felt really smaller then necessary as they all had weapons that were more intimidating then that sawed off shotgun I had. There was no sense of friendlessness or even remote happiness radiating from these people. I had to blink back my tears knowing I was being forced to do something that I had never seen or heard of in my entire life, so far.

But the odd thing here was that...

Why were all these people were _glowing_?

I stopped briefly to inspect one of the soldiers who was looking at me intently. I felt my stomach churn when I noticed something wrong, " _His body has an outline? That's so weird, I've never seen that on a person and it's gray? What in the Emperor's name does that even mean and... Holy Throne of Terra! I'm going mad or am I already?"_ Each one of the black suited soldiers held a different outline of coloration, one had a reddish tint as I noted his weapon twitched as my eyes brushed over. Emotions akin to anger, distrust and suspicion washed over me, it made me shudder briefly to understand how I was able to understand this sensation and how much it scared me. My heart thundered inside my chest when my mind willed my feet to keep up with the woman.

She had been staring at me for some time.

I felt a bit embarrassed although her expression was more calculative if I had to guess.

"Madness has no purpose in what you perceive child, but to answer your own question: no. You are not going mad, you are seeing what was not previously known to you and now you are adjusting to what your kind can foresee in beings." The woman stated this merely as her strides were easily making me force to lightly job to keep up as her eyes remained focused ahead of us. Several black suited soldiers were behind us, roughly five meters or so to keep a respectful distance for some reason or another. Although I was more interested in what this person knew in what I witnessed, I wanted answers!

Answer because for all intensive purposes since nearly having my head split open!

We passed by other junctions of hallways leading to other places, I couldn't imagine where they lead but I had a feeling of dread pass by me several times. I felt someone _beyond_ what these metallic walls were concealing, I felt strange like _something_ was _watching_ me for whatever reason and I didn't understand where the danger was at! It was like doing a job for a gang and knowing you were in enemy territory doing something you weren't supposed to do. So anxiety claimed my heart for a moment when I shivered when a wasp of cold air hit me above my head.

Ventilation shafts were shifting cool air occasionally, I just now started to be aware of those.

"Don't be alarmed, allow your mind to wander but do not fear what is there. Nothing has surfaced on this ship, at least nothing powerful and we have yet to enter the Warp." I looked up at the woman who seemed bored now, her eyes were occasionally glancing at the walls and she didn't seem to care for my nervousness. I started to wonder where exactly I was, I mean I wanted to know who this woman was and what exactly was I going to do now? I felt numb in a way like my mind was automatically trying to will my own body. It wasn't hard but I felt empty for a better lack of a word.

Empty knowing my closest friend was dead. Jane was dead, because I was too much of a coward to not do a thing to stop that _monster!_ My fists clenched tightly cracking knuckles even though I was sore, I wanted to destroy that things face, over and over again! I wanted to destroy it and never again have to feel that pain of loss, I wanted to get back at more of them! I hated it, I hated everyone who promised us coin and I'd never would forgive the bastards that killed her in that fecking room!

A lazy command within my mind told me simply, " _Calm yourself, boy."_

My eyes blinked for a moment before I adhered to that suggestion, well order if I had to gauge the speed of that mental reply. It seemed really awkward for someone to know what I was thinking, or maybe that wasn't really the case. What if I was loudly projecting my feelings when I got angry, it'd make sense for a moment if I was that angry for this woman next to me, to actually pick up on what I'm thinking. So the more worked up I got, as she had said earlier, the more likely that she could _tell_ I what I could be potentially thinking. It was strange yet at the same it made sense and that alone made me shiver.

What in the name of God-Emperor was I becoming?

The woman spoke up completely bemused now, her eyes glancing down at me. "You have a fascinating theory to uphold, although unless you are properly trained to defend your mind, its futile. As a result you can't hide your thoughts from me, little one." I swore the way she naturally spoke that statement like it was like she had a right to invade my mind! A justified sense for whatever reason and it only served to make her seemingly content. I wasn't the smartest blade in the locker, but I knew taunting when I heard it!

A common occurrence within the gangs that ran the hive sub levels sadly.

" _I can't decide whether you're intentionally messing with me, or you're just trying to make me less afraid."_

She tipped her hat as the action concealed a smirk, "Or perhaps I'm doing neither."

With that said I didn't say a word for a bit, I followed her without question and seemingly explored my surroundings. The walls were dark metal, no sense of life or anything of that sort as it gave off a cold vibe for what it was worth. It must have been a long time for me to picture anything remotely cheerful as our foot steps echoed in the silent halls, so it begged myself to ask a question. A question that was obvious as it was, but an important one to always consider when being led by a stranger.

Where in the living abyss were we going?

I swore we must have passed through a dozen rooms or something, hell some of the doorways were double in number and I had the impression that they held important things behind them. It just seemed way too silent for my liking, I was used to the everyday life and insanity of a hive city over my head. So I had to stop myself from being completely paranoid. Then again I was somewhere in which I had no clue as to where exactly I was at, it just terrified me going to new places without knowing how I got there in the first place!

"Cease your rambling thoughts, we're here at my private study." Those words stopped me cold, I had to glance up at the woman who merely gave me a look to not question her. I had to stop myself from flinching when I noticed her coat slid back to reveal a bolt pistol, one that certainly I was familiar with. It wasn't hard to forget limbs being blown off while hearing the said weapon in your ear and I almost felt uneasy. I had that impression she'd probably clobber me with that thing to get a point across, or my compliance. I didn't imagine the specifics or what not in the short term of things.

We came to a doorway of sorts and I happened to notice that same skull akin to the thing the woman wore next to me, I watched as its eyes lit up red to deliver a laser like scanner. I almost flinched away when the red line traced over my frame, but the woman didn't even flinch when a locking mechanism switched over to swing the door inwards. That was probably one of the most high tech looking doors I'd ever see in my life, heck nothing came close to the life underneath the hive city and I rarely saw such things when I was younger.

I barely remembered sleeping with a blanket and pillow on a street side.

Too many nights were like that and it never got easier to accept it.

"If you have questions, I will answer them inside and I will explain what becomes of you. In the mean time keep your mind calm and remained focused." I only nodded meekly while absently I was rubbing my shoulder in an attempt to stay somewhat calm. I stepped into the room the coat of the person in front of me concealed whatever movements she was doing, I heard a snapping hiss of a belt being undone. The woman seemingly folded the small chained tome book in chains and leather before placing it on a table.

I had to take a moment to realize exactly what I was seeing.

The study seemingly looked like a Libarium of some kinds, books were aligned on shelves leading into a circular shape around a desk that held a terminal of some kind on its surface. Chairs were sparingly around in small intervals of two or three meters, although no more than five I could see were within the main room itself and I looked up. A chandelier of gold or steel hung above with ornaments of the rosette skull, I realized they were active. As more than a few were glowing red in their eye sockets or orange for whatever reason. I'd say it was pending if they shifted when I found my eyes glancing over them all.

Over to my right I noticed a staircase leading downwards into another part of this woman's place, I dimly noted that a series of lights were flicking near the end of that hallway. Also to my left was another hallway leading towards a bedded area, one that seemingly held tomes and papers piled on another desk of sorts, I couldn't be sure as to what they were. Overall this place seemed more to be a home than whatever I thought it'd be. Then again I wasn't ever sure as to what a home looked like at times.

"You'd be right, this is merely my quarters for myself to sleep and to work on personal projects. If you're seeking answers about weaponry, I have another room for such tendencies." The woman spoke out loud removing her hat to place it on her desk with a casual movement. I watched her slip off her cloak and place it around the chair in where she sat down comfortably while logging into the terminal on the said desk. I heard several keys and a small ding as a red scanner hitting her eyes and all the components came to life within moments.

Then she gestured to a chair nearest to her desk as I got the message to sit it in.

I promptly did in what was offered because of how nerve wracking this seemed now. I got myself comfortable as best as I could, but I felt anxious and completely intimidated because of this place. I swore those skulls above me were glowing ever so slightly when I stared at them, so I shuddered involuntarily. "No doubt you are frightened, it is understandable but for the sake of the Imperium and to the Emperor, your feelings are merely a moot point for myself to consider. So I'll introduce myself, I am Inquisitor Jalena Tartarus of the Ordos Malleus, you are aboard my ship the Glowing Sabre and from today onwards you are an Acolyte of the Inquisition."

I blinked owlishly while she told me that, "What the feck is the Inquisition?"

Tartarus merely raised an eyebrow, "Your language aside, the Inquisition is a Holy Order created by the Emperor for agents such as myself to seek out and destroy any threats to the Imperium itself. Particularly the Ordos you're apart of is the Ordos Malleus. We are who seek to search out for the enemy beyond." The Inquisitor didn't even remotely pause in her words as I tried to take in what they meant, shockingly I had no idea or else Emperor willing, I'd have nodded confidently. This was just way too much for me take in! To be very blunt with my own sense of sanity, I honestly had no idea where to start.

So sadly all I did was stare at her uneasily, "What do you want from me? I'm just another orphan and a nameless person in the hive city, so why me? I already avenged Jane..." I muttered that last to myself as Tartarus merely hummed in thought, her expression was more curious than wary. I glanced right at here feeling a sinking sensation inside my stomach. For some reason I didn't like the way she was staring at me and I had no idea what in the golden throne she was thinking.

" _And that is the answer to the question you asked, what do I want from you? You banished a daemon, partly due to my push, but the fact remains it was your own power that did such a thing. Psykers generally are more capable to accomplish feats that are beyond the normalcy of humanity."_ I jumped yet again at her voice inside my head, I witnessed her expression as perfectly neutral.

Although her lips twitched into a smile, "Normally I'd have ignored such a person's plight, but perhaps the Emperor ordained yourself to banish a daemon through your rage and I will not overlook a useful resource. As such you're to be an Acolyte under my guidance until you're ready to be a full agent of the Ordos Malleus, it's common practice for Inquisitors such as myself to conscript capable tools." I stared at her trying to comprehend what was being said, I was apart of this Inquisition for what reason? Did the Emperor work in mysterious ways because I didn't deserve anything less, I was just another hiver trying to make ends meat when the times came and I hardly felt special. Special or whatever the heck Tartarus said to me.

I just didn't see it, nor did I ever feel remotely comfortable in doing this to begin with.

But...

Did I really want to go back to that city, to remember Jane's face around every corner and continue living like an animal essentially? It seemed maddening that I wanted to actually learn from this woman, who by all rights did save me and in turn helped me avenge my closest friend. If anything I'd have to humor what I'd be stepping into here, this wasn't like the weekend cage fights to earn a few bits of money to actually get fried Grox burgers. "I don't suppose I have a choice, do I?" I said that with a resigned tone that reflected a bitter smile on my face.

In response to that question Tartarus only looked at me amused. Amused at how resigned, or rather scared I felt within my mind and heart alike. "You already made your choice in following my words, boy. Although if you wish to understand what I could do to you, I'd say certain Black Ships of my Order would pick you up and deliver you to Holy Terra to see the Emperor, personally at a cost."

I didn't look very eager to know what those Black Ships meant, nor that cost seemed appealing for me to understand. It took me to breathe a few breaths to know I had only one choice, to stay with this Inquisitor and try to do some good in my life. I failed Jane in that regard, it pained my heart and my head to see her face in horrid agony from that daemon. My fists clenched as a hot sensation of fire rushed through my veins, I couldn't help but stare directly at the Inquisitor who seemingly held an aura of lofty amusement.

She found my struggles funny, or whatever the feck she thought.

"The more your emotions become stronger, the more likely it is for me to pick out your thoughts and I find them very simple. At least form a consciousness shell around yourself, Psykers can have amazing abilities and can become very powerful, if they have control over themselves." She revealed to me almost bored yet managed to keep her gaze concentrated on my own.

I glared at her, "If you know what I'm thinking, why don't you say my name? I haven't have the slightest fecking clue in what a Psyker is!"

In response she just shrugged nonchalantly, "I do not pry into personal affairs of others that often and it's rather simple to pick up your outlying emotions, which in turn give me a clear window as to what you're thinking. But for the sake of establishing a productive environment, you can introduce yourself which is defined as common courtesy, Inquisition Agents care to meet the needs to garner results for the Emperor and the Imperium." I really wanted to bash my head against a wall, I had no idea in what I was even supposed to do? Better thought process was the fact I had next to nothing in my life to compare to what this woman wanted from me, an Acolyte I could guess meant for me to learn something but what?

Even that word Pskyer bugged me considerably, so I had to pray to the Emperor for a bit of a sign and for the sake of whatever the flying feck Tartarus said.

But she had a point through my own panicking, I never gave her my name.

Scowling off to the side, I briefly muttered, "Marcos Eius. That's my name, I can't say I know if its my real one because..." I had to trail off to ward off that particular day, it wasn't in my best way to consider it a happy memory. Being called a number without a name, I cried endlessly that night and Jane had comforted me to tell me a name. Her last name was Eius for sure, I knew it in her voice when she gave me that last name but my first name was something else.

"Because you were assigned a number as a baby, a common practice in the Imperium due to the high vestiges of human lives. Hive-worlds tend to use that system more often then you think, Marcos." Tartarus said simply, I had to glare at her to see that she held no sort of lying in her eyes. She looked bored for a better lack of a word, I really wanted to punch her for some reason but I withheld that urge. Trying to focus on other details, I looked up to see the floating skulls scanning certain portions of the libarium's tomes or whatever they were called.

"Servo Skulls, they're cataloging data and other such things for my personal interests. More so in sorting out effective methods for Psyker training, I have little experience in teaching others, Marcos." Tartarus explained briefly while focusing her eyes on the console on her desk, she was idly tapping keys and what not for her own reasons. I just wanted to figure out why she was casually explaining things to me for no reason. I had a feeling she wanted to mess around with me, I had been used to being mess around with but with strangers in general, I had nothing to say I knew what she'd be up too.

And apparently my thoughts made her eyes wander back to me.

She smiled almost amused, "Paranoia is but your mind creating delusions for your own self-induced mistrust of myself. Again your emotions are merely making my attempts to pick up your intentions all the more easier, Marcos if you wish to stop myself from answering then simply calm down." I fidgeted inside my seat to the point where I wanted to bolt to the doorway, I felt very uncomfortable. Exhaling sharply I figured to at least do what she said, calm down and find out all I could in what the feck was going to happen from now on. I owed it to Jane, to myself and to my own apparent future to do something useful in my life for once.

I took a breath to ask, "So I'm going to be like you? An Inquisitor, right? For this Order thing?" I guess she found this question to be funny because she smirked again. I shivered when her words echoed down my back, it wasn't a good feeling. "If you survive and prove to be resilient, then yes."

I stared at her without as so much as blinking, I didn't like this at all. I wanted to ask something personally, but I managed to think about another detail in life that hit me hard. What in the name of Holy Terra and the Emperor was I going to use against those things that killed Jane? Those things that were called daemons, I didn't know the proper name to call them and I asked the Inquisitor who was sitting contently in her seat.

"These daemons that you said I banished, how do you kill them or even make sure they'll never come back? How can I do what you said I could as apart of this Ordos thing." My eyes didn't want to look away as Tartarus merely hummed thoughtfully. I felt nervous asking this woman for what I wanted to know, I knew I should have been scared but for the sake of it all, I wanted to know why. I wanted to know if I could really do this in what she said.

Her hands went to the terminal for a few seconds and she absently replied, "Daemons are not destroyed fully, less so in the physical plane Marcos, they are merely pushed back into the Immaterium from whence they formed in pieces and possibly could take centuries to reform again. Methods vary to radical achievements to more traditional planning, I for one do not care for how it is done but when a daemon is banished. It is banished for a long time." She explained to me carefully, I noticed her eyes look at my face for a moment before typing several more words onto the terminal. I had an instinct that I was being judged through some shape or form, I just knew it inside my gut.

"So when do I start to learn to spot daemons, I mean are they around us even now?" I asked hesitantly much to the woman smirking at question itself. She began a small lecture, "Everything in the Warp itself has a reflection of the physical realm. Daemons cannot cross over unless sacrificial rituals are used to entice a small gate, but even then they are not at full strength. They need hosts to survive upon and have their souls anchored to garner their strength. However there is _another_ alternative to banishing a daemon Marcos, an alternative that is radical in itself but all the more rewarding if you can conquer the risks."

Despite my nerves flailing around I wanted to know more, I really wanted to know if I could stop a daemon and not have someone go through what I did.

I didn't want anyone to feel what I was feeling because my best friend was gone.

I still felt so bad to know I'd never hear her again.

The Inquisitor snorted bemused at something much to my confusion, "It is speculated that all daemons of various ranks and powers have a _true_ name to be uttered by another whose a psyker. In theory you can command that very daemon to your will, it could bind itself to you in exchange for a service if it's true name were ever to be discovered or you could destroy it. Before you ask me why, I do not care for bounded daemons unless they cannot be controlled. I have no patience or time for unstable variables in my line of work, so be aware once you continue your training will that option be made to you." She finished her explanation with a rather dismissive wave of her hand. I found that to be a bit odd but nonetheless nodded at some sort of an answer.

"Is there a difference in banishing them, or controlling them?" I asked a bit warily as the woman raised her eyebrow at my cautious prodding. "No more different then having a bolter wielded by your own hand but at the expense of said weapon trying to kill you. Either way the result would be the same, the daemon is managed and you yourself must find that danger in order to achieve was it tasked in your duties." I wanted to press for more knowledge yet I had to calm myself down. If daemons were dealt with one way or another, then the means from what she told me were what mattered to the end. With that in mind I figured to at least do myself a favor to remain steady.

"So what am I going to be learning now?" My question came out uneasily as the Inquisitor in front of me smiled all the more amused. "So eager to learn about what can kill you Marcos?"

I didn't tremble under her gaze as I retorted almost a little too hotly, "Don't you mean what you'll be the one eager enough to try and kill me? Clearly you're stating that I'll put into danger and you did force me to come here, so should I be afraid to learn more about things that killed my best friend?" My accusation didn't offend the woman who clearly found my backbone apparently suitable. Her voice attached itself into my mind with a keen sense of approval yet it held a warning, " _Fear is what you must strive to overcome and that includes myself. Never allow it to claim your mind yet do not press that line for which you must find my dear Acolyte."_ I nodded a bit uneasy at how casually her hand had shifted over to the small book on her best, I had to be careful for sure and that was that easier part to be fair.

"So now what?" Honestly I didn't have anymore questions pertaining to the daemons. In time I learn more about them, to learn under this Inquisitor and I wasn't escaping anywhere. I was on a ship, a ship that had confined me to this new life. A new life that I'd do what I could to make sure many people would never go through what I did. If there was ever a time in which I had to stand up in a fighter, well learning to destroy daemons came up as sufficient enough, plus what was the harm in learning about an enemy you needed your mind to fight?

" _Be mindful that knowledge is indeed power yet you must ask yourself. At what is cost of the said power Marcos."_ Her voice echoed inside my head, I looked up at that little grave piece of advice. I wanted to know more but she cut me off verbally as if to disregard that line of questioning for another day. In fact she even told me in what I'd be doing in the mean time until the warp jump to wherever we were going now.

"Don't be alarmed, that subject is for another day, a day in which you'll be able to handle what is required for you to foresee the dangers. In the mean time you'll need a physical trainer, a religious adviser on the arts of holy weaponry and I myself will be whatever is suitable for your progress. Fortunately you are indeed a child Marcos, a gifted one, which is your saving grace to adapt to what I must use in store your own considerations." Tartarus explained to me almost as if it were a common occurrence, I personally just had to deal with the fact that I had been taken from my home. A home while crude, disgusting and ever more cut-throat with the hive gangs, so I did feel a lingering sickness to leave such a place.

But at the same time a happiness to never be reminded of Jane, I couldn't forget that nightmare...

Jalena merely supplied myself with a small condescending piece of optimism. "Every agent, tool or servant of the Emperor has a home to belong to Marcos. Perhaps in time you'll return but not as you are now, I assure you the next time you ever return to this system, you will find it relatively peaceful compared to the rest of the galaxy." She typed in several more keys onto her terminal before one of the Servo-Skulls floated directly down in front of her. It scanned her briefly before floating over towards my right hand side, I looked very uneasy at how menacing that eye gleamed in its eye socket.

"That will be your guide around the ship, I also can send messages via to it and in turn you shall answer the summons that I give out. I'll allow you the freedom to explore this new home, I recommend you _rest_ as much as possible. Tomorrow I'll have one of my troopers start giving you a first hand course in weaponry, hand to hand combat and other such tasks that are apart of the Inquisition." The Servo-Skull scanned my face for a second as I winced from the potency of the red laser. It's robotic tone echoed from its internal mechanisms, " _Acolyte Marcos Eius, now recognized under Inquisitor Jalena Tartarus of the Ordos Malleus. Mission slated as guidance and information provider. Acknowledged."_ I had to admit that sounded a little too inhumane, I shivered at how lifeless such a machine could sound. Not to mention I had ever witnessed such a contraption except on data slates, or even terminal videos provided in the under cities.

Glancing at the floating skull one last time I replied a bit hesitant, "So I'm free to go? Is there any place for me to pass the time, or just learn more about anything?" The Inquisitor merely listed off a few places without a beat, "The Chapel is maintained by a small mission contingent of Adepta Sororitas who are using my vessel for a pilgrimage, so they will offer knowledge on the Imperial Creed and Faith alone. I'd recommend them and the commercial compartments and passenger quarter all have vendor capable of such tasks on a long voyage." I felt uneasy in being on a ship for the first time, I inwardly cringed if got lost and to be fair, I didn't like this Servo-Skull hovering over me like a blasted infected leech.

"Could I ask one of the masked soldiers to stay around me? If it's alright with you or them." The woman raised an eyebrow at my request, if she found it insulting then I'd never know, she did however snort a bit amused. I never got an answer as I figured it was denied for whatever reasons, I just went with it as the Inquisitor spoke to me for the last time today. "The best methods and manners for any who fear the unknown is too approach it on their own, for they are the only ones capable to no longer fear, so take this as your first test Marcos. Explore the ship and do what you must to keep yourself calm."

And with that she waved her hand.

As a means to tell me to do what I was tasked.

Exhaling lightly I nodded with a polite and respectful tone, "Yes mam."

I got up from my seat to move to the doorway, I witnessed the Servo-Skull float just a foot behind me as I shivered uncomfortably. The hatch opened when one of the masked soldiers opened it as the request came from the counsel that my teacher and now master had been on. The soldiers all respectfully gave me room as I walked by them, I could see their outlines shifting from gray to a light coloration that made me feel a bit more welcomed. Shaking my head I figured to ask directions to the place in where most on the ship could relax, or simply waste their time for whatever reasons aside from sleeping.

"Excuse me." I said quietly to one of the guards who looked down at me curiously, I requested the best direction to find the merchant quarter, or whatever this ship had. "What's the fastest route from here to the Chapel and wherever the rest of the people on this ship kill time." The trooper looked to another who shrugged in response as he pointed down a junction opposite of the way we came initially. His mask and synthetic voice sent shivers once more up my spine but not as badly to when I heard the Servo-Skull speak to me just a few minutes ago.

"Head down the corridor and take the second right. There's an elevator lift to get down to sector, press the M on the panel and it'll do the rest." I smiled thankfully at the man as I nodded, "Thank you sir."

And with that I turned down the hall exploring this new place by myself.

Well I did have a servo-skull with me so I technically wasn't alone...

I'd just be the only one alive.

 **End Chapter One**

 **Author's Note:** Please leave a review, I do want to know what people think about this so far and getting feed back never hurts. **  
**

So you get to meet the Inquisitor herself, I wanted to at least show the mindset of such an individual before switching over to the main focus of our character. From what I gather, the Inquisition doesn't give a damned about where and why they recruit assets/potential recruits via their standing. Plus the Inquisition in itself is a limitless arm of using the Imperium of Mankind's vast resources, so they can request ships/money/men and etc for whatever reasoning. A lot of the lore indicates these guys just wipe out worlds because they _say_ so at the first signs of an annoying infestation of Chaos or Tyranids in a nut shell. Not that I'd say they were wrong as well.

Personally I'll be reading up more on the Inquisition as a whole, I have the feeling that getting promoted within their ranks aren't exactly normal as well.


	3. Chapter II

**The Inquisitor**

 **Chapter Two**

"Hey, Skit. What exactly are Adepta Sororitas?"

I asked my newly minted servo-skull's namesake with a curious question as I looked up at the chapel quadrant in which I had found finally. The journey here wasn't as bad in the sense of myself getting lost, I just got lost within the sector of the ship that displayed a lot of activities to make it like a miniature hive city. I witnessed grox burger stands and bars along the various small time businesses for all to enjoy, I wanted to eat but I resisted until I had a means to get some food. The last thing I wanted was to reported, or picked up for stealing food on a ship while large but small enough for people to remember my face.

Although my new servo-skull had unfortunately made people give me a wide berth, I guess they knew who I was for sure. Plus I had given him a name as a means to keep myself calm, I liked the name because it was an older nickname of mine back when I sprinted for the gangs. I moved quickly and the nickname stuff when I used to skit across the grounds yet that life ended, so I gave it to the servo-skull as a means to make me happier. The mechanisms within its internal frame had acknowledged that it's designated namesake within moments, I enjoyed so how fast it responded to my questions as we made our day down into the merchant sector.

" _Acknowledged Acolyte Eius. Adepta Sororitas, or in Low Gothic, to be known as the 'Sisters of Battle' are a militant branch of the_ _Ecclesiarchy. The Sisters of Battle are used by your own fellow Ordos Herectius of the Holy Inquisition. Founded at the end of the Age of Apostasy in the thirty sixth millennium. They serve as a militant body and are considered zealous in their faith to our God-Emperor."_ Skit's automated data banks recited to me as he floated over my shoulder, I hummed positively interested. I may have been nervous around Skit initially but he provided answers for my questions. So I had to give my respect to such a useful piece of equipment and he was certainly providing me time to kill today.

It wasn't as bad to walk around alone on a ship when I first considered the idea.

I walked in between a crowd of people, who I guessed they were passengers or something of that extent.

As all of them were immediately getting out my way at the sight of Skit, I figured that wasn't a good sign. If it had been because of who usually had such devices, I'd say these people knew when to break ranks to let an important person past themselves. "I don't suppose you know who exactly is within the Chapel. I don't even know why Tartarus wants me to visit this place. I never was a big devote of the Imperial Creed." Glancing over my shoulder I felt a chill crawl up my spine, I didn't like that feeling and more then often it had certainly saved me some skin. When I had did runs for the hive gangs, I had nearly been jumped and it never settled well with me.

So I looked around for a moment trying to avoid lingering on anyone for too long.

My gaze went back to the floating skull as it kept up with my own pace. I tried to ignore the stares at myself personally, " _Up to date reports upon the Glowing Sabre indicate a small Mission of Sororitas have claimed the chapel quadrant to be open to anyone seeking a holy resolution to their misfortunes. Pilgrimage concerns vary on their newest initiates to be assigned within their Orders."_ I waited for a moment as a beeping sound came from the servo-skull's speakers within its jaw. I understood what that meant as Skit explained in a monotone voice, " _Error...Apologies. I have limited information available on their specifics Acolyte Eius."_

I shrugged completely fine with it.

"It's acceptable Skit. Not like I'm trying to figure them out, I just wanted a generalized overview on them. So thank you for telling me, I mean it's helpful." Even though the servo-skull didn't reply to me like when someone didn't mind the apology, I did it out of reflex. Besides I may have been technically conscripted, or forced into a new position or whatever. However it didn't mean I'd be a complete ass to people, I figured to move on and at least do my best friend the justice to kill as many daemons as possible in my life. That was as much as I could state to make myself all the more happier to know and I had to bare with this portion of a new life now.

Shaking my head I moved towards the building, or rather makeshift imprinted section that had been renovated for its purpose. I walked through the small archway to see statues of some type of people in armor, I couldn't tell who they were other then the fact both were women. Skit hovered over my shoulder as we made our way into the chapel's interior, I witnessed a lot of lit candles burning a subtly covered incense to make the air stale as a piece of grain. It made my throat clench up slightly when I noted a few passerby people were praying to the statue of the God-Emperor at the head of the room, the podium lay vacant for the resident holy preacher and I looked around.

The Imperium's symbols lay engrained into the walls and various other holy figures were aligned in portraits of some kind in intervals.

"Why do I feel sleepy all of a sudden?"

My eyes strained when I resisted an urge to yawn, I moved down the isles and witnessed benches clear of people. Overall the impression of my first trip to a chapel in my life, I wasn't say it wasn't weird. It was awkward to come into a place so clean and yet smelled literally like nothing. At least the hive city had its unique and familiarity in smell, I mean the place outside certainly brought me back into a more familiar setting. Inhaling sharply I figured to sit down next to one of the pillars to lean against it while dozing off. No one seemed to be manning the chapel apart from the few who walked in here for whatever reasons.

Or rather that would have been my intentions...

Least until my familiar of a Servo-Skull decided upon other things.

Skit zoomed around my shoulder to go towards the wall, I watched in amazement to see the servo-skull literally scan a portion of it. I blinked when another light appeared at the position when I heard a light chime of a door being opened, or rather sliding off to the side. "Whoa." My single word answer appeared when the servo-skull returned to my side briefly before informing on what just happened, I didn't want to believe my ears. " _Acolyte Eius, the confirmation has been authorized. Please proceed into the private study and living quarters of the on-board Mission contingent of Adepta Sororitas under the Order of the Bloody Rose. Please proceed toward the inner sanctum for reported combative training and educational curriculum's."_

My eyes were wide at Skit's revelations and response as I became so dumbfound. So stunned that I asked a stupid question that I immediately took back. "Skit. Who the heck authorized that so quickly? I thought I'd be just exploring the ship for today?" The servo-skull merely beeped a few times before processing the question full out, I almost started to pray to the God-Emperor just for a sign of relief. Rubbing my hands nervously the familiar piece of machinery finally responded in his usual monotone of voice that got me anxious.

I got the feeling this would be a normal occurrence from now onwards.

Skit hovered in front of me for a moment and the audio banks revealed who. The scanning laser came back over my face as if to request such a task. I almost paled at came next, " _Request_ _acknowledged Acolyte Eius. Inquisitor override of authorized task has been confirmed, Lady Tartarus's commands heeded as the following to Acolyte Eius."_ The servo-skull's tone changed to my newly minted teachers voice. I shivered at how quickly this became intimidating inside a holy place of salvation. I had to resist snorting, now I'd certainly fall asleep inside this place or else this wouldn't be so bad.

Yet in the end I gritted my teeth to listen in to the servo-skull's information.

" _Beginning message: 'I have found you a teacher Marcos, or rather it was a convenience in waiting. Go search for the Sororitas on-board, they shall teach you the more holy enchantments and basics of weaponry for someone in your position.' Apologies Acolyte Eius as the message has been completed."_ Skit's monotone returned as I blinked at how quickly things had changed. Inhaling deeply enough to show my frustrations, I just nodded before doing in what I was told. I needed to clear my head for a bit after this and hopefully going to sleep in a good bed would do that to my will. I just dealt with it to follow the hovering Skit who issued another request. Despite a monotone the urgency could said to be nearly human in another life possibly.

" _Acolyte Eius, acknowledgment of task required, please proceed."_

I stared at the floating skull with a small grin, "I hear you Skit. Thanks for the news. Do you know the way inside there at all?" Another brief scan of red flashed inside his eye socket as I waited patiently inside the chapel. I could hear murmuring of others inside at my presence, I didn't understand and many people had offered a lot more prayers for whatever reasons. Throne of Terra, I just didn't give a damn about why they suddenly were revering at Skit's presence, I chalked it up as people being themselves. Same concept inside here like the under-city on the hive-world I lived on and God-Emperor help my plight of a painful existence inside my chest. Really I needed to ignore those phantom memories again.

" _Confirmed. Please follow this unit, Acolyte."_

Skit moved in a propulsion of speed to get himself forward as I followed right behind the said servo-skull. The door behind me slid once I stepped through and the dim lighting made this stairway all the more creepier. Shuddering lightly I managed to guide myself down due to the Servo-Skull's own pulsating lighting and the lighting barely made it any easier, so I made do with what I could. A lesser smell of something akin to fruit came to my senses as it was a stark contrast to what the chapel's main entrance of a stale atmosphere. Despite all this dim lighting that assaulted the means for me to continue on my journey.

It wasn't strange to me.

Oh I had been in worse conditions and to be fair I found it familiar in a way.

Eventually the stair curved into a spiral briefly as I nearly lost my balance. Skit remained in place when I almost bumped my own head against his metallic frame, I could see him scanning another doorway just in front of us and unlike last time. It didn't open straight away in an automatic manner, so I waited in the darkened hallway completely anxious to all of the abyss and back. Scratching the side of my face I managed to shrug off the shiver coursing inside my back again. Reflexively I stared over my shoulder once again to hopefully ward off such a paranoia.

A chime made my eyes drift in front of as the doorway revealed itself, a light washed over my face as I winced at how bright it got. I watched as my familiar of a servo-skull drifted into the room ahead, I followed despite using a hand to ward off the brightness. Blinking several times to clear the bright spots out of my vision and it took a minute to clear them all. Barely I managed to make the details in where I was standing. Not to mention I almost felt my jaw drop at what exactly I was witnessing within this sub-level of a hide away beneath the chapel itself.

In fact I had to blurt out, "What in the feck is this place?"

A massive room filled with racks of weaponry, complete sets of armor parts and what not were aligned all along the walls. Spears, halberds and swords with chains mechanisms aligned along it's length were all stored in open view much to my disbelief. All the weaponry were locked in place by metallic pressurized locking mechanisms of sorts, I could see a small terminal underneath certain sections as if they were needed to be unlocked by a pass-code of sorts on some data slate. My eyes were trying to understand why in the name of the Holy Throne of Terra that a _chapel_ was this heavily fortified on a ship like this in the first place.

What type of chapel had its own weaponry to start a war of all things?

Around the room the symbol on of a rose had been hung from cloth so that a row of them were facing each other in this room and they were all deliberately evened out. Yet at each end to my immediate right, or left-hand side the statues of the Emperor were facing the large space almost as if anyone were to be judged. I felt uneasy to see so many armed weaponry in a supposed place of religious healing. Occasionally flora of sorts were planted in small containers to have a rose like plant wafting smell akin to fruit much to my curiosity in where the source of said smells came from. Walking slowly up to the wall of the nearest weaponry, I witnessed the large weapon that I once saw on a data slate as a bolt gun.

I saw without a doubt that this object was so large, that it'd be impossible for me to lift it physically at the least.

"Dare not touch a blessed weapon provided by the Emperor and not be cleansed of sins boy. No holy weaponry shall be stained by those not performing the Rites of Cleansing. "

This came from a strong yet very cold woman's voice who spoke up behind me less then pleased. My heart practically leaped out of my throat as I jumped back as if the weaponry were acid. Skit simply ascended as I fell down onto my behind for a moment, I witnessed the servo-skull float over me to the source of my would be accuser. Shaking my gaze for a second I got onto my feet to see a person walking from an open doorway leading to a room lit with candles with the Imperium's symbol lit up in a golden glory.

" _Acknowledged. Adepta Sororitas Superior Advance recognized, Order of the Bloody Rose. Confirm mission parameters at behest of Inquisitor Tartarus?"_ Skit's monotone hovered in front of the now newly recognized Sister of Battle, I felt my chest tingle with a pain at how striking this woman seemed. Hair white yet fluent as it circled her entire skulls, eyes blue as ice and with a face that would make any elder hive gangster fall to his knees. I couldn't help but see a small tattoo of sorts just under her right eye and the white near tan like tunic did little conceive in what she looked like much to my guilt. In fact I averted my eyes to avoid staring to see a few other details along the walls to draw my attention thankfully.

Bolt-guns that had tanks of some kind were aligned on the wall, I looked a bit more to see pistols and pieces of reddish armor aligned as if they were ready to be assembled at a moment's notice. So invested in my curiosity I barely heard the woman speak up in a clear yet commanding tone to the servo-skull. "I accept the request to overview this Acolyte of the Emperor's Holy Inquisition." Skit's eye scanned the Adepta Sororita's face briefly as a whirl of mechanisms chimed in affirmation. I felt my stomach churn at the presence of this woman which definitively didn't seem as foreboding as Tartarus's own manners. My body had tingled in a warning to know this wasn't anyone to mess around, or ignore at any given time of the day.

" _Acknowledged."_

And with that final confirmation the Servo-skull hovered back over my shoulder once again.

Inhaling deeply I faced down the woman who walked over to me, I had to withhold an urge to flinch. She practically towered over me due to my age and small frame alone, I kept my breathing steady as much as I could make do. The Adepta Sororita spoke up clearly, "So you're the conscript the lady Inquisitor has picked up. I'll admit I was expecting someone to be far elder and more despicable at first glance." I winced at how expectant her subtly implied, I had the feeling if I were like one of the older hive gangsters I'd be in real trouble. My eyes took in how she gauged myself in standing her down within the room.

Yet I gave a small smile in return as if trying to reassure my own sense of sanity, "Thank you, I guess."

The taller woman started to circle me as I offered to continue, "So what exactly am I going to be learning? Tartarus wasn't exactly specific to me earlier, I really don't know anything about the Imperial Creed apart from the basics." The Sister of Battle snorted almost amused at how open I had been to her in the initial moments. She knelt down in front of me offering a small yet very all knowing smile, "Be thankful and blessed knowing if you said that to a higher maiden of my order, they'd have whipped you until you memorized that entire Faith to our God-Emperor _before_ training you in any combative prospects..." She trailed off almost gleeful as my eyes went wide at that little piece of information within the Adepta Sororitas as a whole. It didn't sound very nice, or easy for that matter to know that I could be beaten down for saying I didn't know anything.

Even while kneeling my forehead came up to her mid face as I had to relive this moment.

In fact I felt my stomach tighten to the point where I offered an uneasily response, "Okay! Well that's nice to know."

She turned to shake her head at my uneasy expressions. I got the impression she didn't hate me yet but it came pretty close to annoyance straight out. "Young and very ignorant. A blessing yet a curse to all those who don't know what our Order dictates to our God Emperor. Saint Mina would more then likely have arisen to this challenge if she were in this position." That last comment made my head tilt to the side, I had never heard of that person before at all. A rousing temptation to ask the question to learn more came to the forefront of my mind as I hesitantly raised a hand.

The sister looked at me a bit confused, "I don't want to offend you but whose Saint Mina? Lived in a hive-city until yesterday." I admitted a bit guilty while trying to avoid the fresh memories of what happened to my friend. The Adepta Sororita didn't respond to my question immediately before she stood up to walk towards another doorway that led to somewhere beyond my sight. I inwardly felt like I just offended someone clearly like the time when I was in the hive-gang as a runner. I bit the inside of cheek to stop myself from making a pitiful excuse yet I managed to see Skit hover in front of me.

His single mechanical eye glowed a bright red briefly.

In a desperate attempt to avoid any potential bad things coming my way, "Skit do you know who that Saint Mina person is? Any information that's freely able to be given?" I asked my servo-skull familiar with a quickened pace as the machine replied in his usual monotone. " _Apologies Acolyte Eius, no information on specifics of the Adepta Sororitas is available within data slate. Recommend applying for expansive data for your convenience."_ Now that didn't sound too good for me and the blessing of the Emperor must likely ran its course out with this situation. Taking a shaking breath I looked around me in an attempt to stop myself from getting into an anxiety attack for offending a person who clearly didn't sound very friendly.

I waited nervously despite walking towards the wall of weaponry and armor pieces, I stood in front of one set as the reddish piece of metal and what not stood out. They towered over me and I doubted anyone could lift such things, I mean the chest plate alone stood over my height as much as I hated being short. Skit hovered a bit more closer to me as I figured to ask him exactly what this type of armor was in the first place, "Skit. What kind of armor is this, or is it anything special?" The servo-skull scanned the reddish pieces before processing the request and I waited a bit patiently for his response. My eyes looked back to the open hallway to hear hushed voices and other such things.

I guessed the Adepta Sororita had someone to discuss whatever she needed too.

The Servo-skull ascended briefly before scanning several pieces of the armor secured on the wall, " _Processing request. Adeptas Sororita external frame armor type classified as Mark VII Aquila. Error! Internal modifications have been detected for lack of gene-seed of Adeptus Astartes."_ My eyes were a bit wide at this point because I didn't know half the things that Skit was stating to me. Scratching the back of my neck a bit concerned, I watched as his scanner went over the various power armor pieces before returning to my level. I waited a bit curious in what he was revealing to me, I kind of enjoyed the information yet not knowing what it meant kind of sucked.

" _Apologies Acolyte Eius. Mark VII Aquila Power Armor of Adeptus Sororitas confirmed but this unit has no details in what incorporates its internal mechanisms. Request expansion of Power Armors design and schematics for further details."_ I figured as much from what he told me now. I mean I did like Skit informing me about whatever questions I had in store. At least I got answers and it made me smile almost appreciatively at the servo-skull next to my face. "Thanks Skit. So power armor, I can't say that it sounds light to wear but it least looks cool." The piece of floating metal and bone didn't respond before remaining idly at my side.

My eyes looked over the weapons and armor for one last time before turning around.

Only for my body to freeze in place...

I witnessed not one but two women standing in front of me with tunics.

Trembling in how they were similar but one looked younger then the other. I realized I almost had provoked them as both pairs of eyes were tracking my hands. Almost as if they had desecrated something holy. I knew for a fact I didn't touch any part of the armor, or the weapons secured on the wall yet I felt my blood stop. My face paled when the one known as the Superior Advance gave me a chilling warning, "Ignorance is not a sin, so I dare not reprimand such actions if you had touched one of our Holy armors. Fortunately you desired only the knowledge to understand what is in front of you to avoid such ignorance as you had told of myself."

I tried to speak but the white haired woman cut me off, "Do not make excuses for wishing to know something that the Emperor has blessed and we as his servants to cleanse the galaxy in his name. I did not introduce myself due to acquiring a suitable instructor for your lessons here Acolyte, so forgive my abruptness moments ago." She had lowered her briefly at my form. I did manage to retort apologetically to cause her younger compatriot to smirk as if amused by the words alone. "It's fine. I didn't even know I'd be coming down here until like ten minutes ago, I do apologize if I offended you because it's what I thought. Glad to know we could clear that little problem up, so it's okay." My uneasy smile made the younger women chuckle at how embarrassed I felt out about touching another person's property.

I had stolen before when I was younger yet I kept a healthy respect to not do it with said owners around.

"Indeed. Do you wish of me to begin his training and lessons sister?" The younger one asked to her senior as she replied simply, "You may do what you wish. Just at the end of a fortnight will I personally test his combative reflexes and report back to the lady Inquisitor on this vessel. Do not disappoint me with entrusting this task to you, Constantia Advance." The older woman gave me one last glance as if judging me before returning to wherever she needed to be in the first place. This left me with the other woman whose friendlier smile made my face feel a bit warmer then usual. Both Adepta Sororitas weren't ugly in any sense, heck I'd admit that much and Jane would've teased me for days about admitting that type of thing.

Because really I found my new found instructor to be just as striking compared to her elder senior.

"Forgive my fellow Sister, she had been in mid-prayer to the God-Emperor and found this sudden change of routine rather shockingly." She laughed very good naturally as I gave a nervous grin in return. She had to be probably a few years older then Jane, she had been seventeen and that alone got me scared. My best friend never liked discussing her age, or else I'd get kicked in the place to make my soul quiver in agony for days on end. "Please allow me to introduce myself, I am Sister Anora, Constantia Advance of the Order of the Bloody Rose." Anora said with a warm yet very stern tone of voice as she offered her hand to me.

The gesture wasn't meant to be a hoax or even a means to make me feel less calmer inside this inner sanctum underneath the chapel.

I cautiously accepted it as a greeting, I gave a small smile at her polite introduction. "Marcos Eius, newly informed Acolyte of our heart warming Inquisitor." I really wanted to at least get back at Tartarus for something short of mind relieving, plus I hated being forced into things. More so in a place I had next to no clue in where what was located at what point and all that good stuff. Taking an inhaling lungful of air, I managed to at least face down Sister Anora without flinching at how her eyes were gauging my frame.

"Kind words for one whose been conscripted into the service for our Emperor, I pray that you succeed in your future in his service Marcos. I am humbled that my superior selected me to introduce the art of war and cleansing of the Emperor's enemies for an agent of his Holy Inquisition." I resisted to blurt out that I really didn't have much choice but I kept my smile up as much as it hurt me. I wanted to destroy daemons permanently, not just to get back at what they did for Jane. I'd do it for my own sake, I may have banished her killer but it'd return based on what Tartarus had said in her study. So I stood up front with the woman who clearly enjoyed my enthusiasm to learn from her personally.

"Hey if it helps me survive another day, I'll learn all I can. A friend once said to me, 'take what you can and leave nothing behind in doubt.' So where do I begin Sister?" I stated as politely and respectfully as possible from someone in my shoes. Remarkably it wasn't hard to play nice, I just never got the chance to really use this type of front and oddly enough it felt weird. I hadn't ever been this polite to anyone except for Jane, but beyond that no one in the hive under-city I used this tone to in a conversation.

Really to me personally, it was strange that I suddenly picked up on it.

"For starters the patron saint of my order is Saint Mila. That is who my superior sister was referring too when she met you." Anora stated a little too amused as I paled at the symbols and statues aligned in the room near the Emperor's own main idols in the center of the ends. "Further more I have to teach you the Rites of Purification, the proper prayer to our God-Emperor and align your combative training with a training sword into a suitable form within the week. So much to do and so little time to meet the standards." The Adepa Sororita stated all the more eagerly while walking to the wall of armored assortments of varying degrees. I managed to keep my mouth shut knowing I'd be in for a hell of a week upon my fate alone.

In a bid to understand more about her, I got a bit interested in why these Sisters were on-board the ship to begin with.

I hesitantly spoke up while watching the white tunic covered woman stare over her shoulder at my questioning. "Anora, if it's not too personal, where do you stand? I mean are you like one of the top the ladder in terms of a rank? Plus why even be under Tartarus in the first place?" Her white hair swished around when she took hold of a sword like weapon, she thumbed its pommel briefly before swinging out of reflex. I thought it looked akin to an expert but what she revealed next made me wish I hadn't ever asked anyone about their places.

Her voice gently explained apart of her contingent's purpose on-board of the Glowing Sabre. It got my attention immediately, "I'm at the end of my Noviciate Marcos, I was selected to be apart of this pilgrimage to fight and gain experience to become a fully accepted Battle Sister of my Order. My superior and teacher also has selected me to garner experience on this voyage until we return to Ophelia VII in the future." I wanted to know more about them yet I kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to interrupt her and at the same time, I'd think she hate for me to know I'd be rude.

Although Anora looked at me with a smile recognizing my eagerness a little too easily, "Don't be frightened of my purpose Acolyte. You yourself are on a journey of a beginning as I once had been, so don't fear those who guide you, I myself am a maiden of faith for those to believe in the Emperor." I nodded nervously at her explanation as she waved me forward with the weapon in her hand. Briefly she wanted me to hold out my own limb to take it, I attempted too and expected it to heavy due to my thin arms.

Yet to my surprise it felt light and very nimble to swing.

"Here I thought this thing would be heavier."

I mumbled that a bit embarrassed as the Sister of Battle, or known as my newest instructor laughed lightly. "Trust my words to know it's only the basic format for developing a fighter, or any initiate into a respectable warrior to hold bolters within our armors. My task is develop a base for you Marcos, I cannot specifically teach you our ways in direct combative as our Sisterhood is meant for our own and females." Well that made sense because apparently I was being directed to learn how to fight properly? Not like using my fists, or using whatever I could to get out of some person's grip in any manner akin to desperation.

She walked over to me while adjusting my limbs and body in one fluid motion.

Her touch alone made my face flush due to how warm and smooth her skin seemed, "Space your footing equally and adjust your arms for a more natural length of a swing. Do not force your body into a rigid stance since speed and precision will be your primary focuses Marcos. In time strength will accompany your body's natural growth over the years, I used the same methods when I joined my Order years ago, so trust me from personal experience wielding these blades for training." I grunted when I tried to imagine a strike to parry, or do whatever I could to block. Except I didn't account for Anora, she gripped my wrist tightly to make a hiss of frustration seep past my lips in a painful grimace.

"Do _not_ get ahead of yourself, or my instructions."

She kept my stance as naturally loose and prepared as possible when I didn't resist the adjustments. Soon enough she got a similar blade off the secured armory of assorted weaponry, I gulped when her blade touched my own. Anora kept her tone light yet very serious to make sweat down the side of my temples, "Marcos do not ever assume you're the better fighter in a fight. Contrary to that saying in which the Emperor protects, your skills personally can decide the outcome more so and having our God-Emperor's blessing is always a good thing. Still do not become arrogant, or overconfident until you are experienced enough to garner the advantage."

I nodded at her words despite feeling adrenaline inside my veins rushing at speed beyond imagination.

"Good. Now parry my strike and we'll begin." Anora said with a smile at my exuberant expression as she did a quick yet very deliberately open swing. Metal clashed briefly as she nodded, "Once again. This time tilt your blade in a natural angle that suits you, I won't attempt to kill you yet, so for take this time to perfect your natural response to my own weapon." She struck a bit faster as I tiled my wrists to have the edge meet her own in a quick shower of sparks. Her eyes widened a bit at how rapid my adjustment became at my growing smile.

Despite the seriousness of my lesson, I couldn't help but let this slip.

"This is so awesome."

The Adeptas Sororita snorted yet allowed a series of laughter to be released at my honesty. "Indeed it can be Marcos, indeed training can be a boon to those who seek to better themselves. Just remember this is a controlled environment and on the battlefields, that factor is all but destroyed." Anora warned me as I gave a nod, I understood that but I still liked this feeling of improving myself. I'd be an idiot to reject that I couldn't benefit from this yet I'd always remember my times in the under-city of the hive world that was my own home.

For the next few hours, I practiced and fought with Anora.

And for once I actually knew that tonight's sleep would be ideally peaceful.

Yet unknowingly it'd be the first night...

The first night in which I began to have nightmares that would be the first of many to haunt my consciousness.

 **End Chapter Two**

 **Author's Note:** Please leave reviews once per chapter, I really want to know if I'm doing anything wrong or right here. Not to mention I do want to keep this story in the context of 'realistic' despite the idea of having an Inquisition have the power to do whatever they want. I'll justify the sense of why an Ordos Malleus has a contingent of Sisters of Battle or, Adeptas Sororitas, within a ship on an Inquisitor of such a Major Ordos. I'd say it'd be a mutual agreement and to be fair, the entire Lore of Warhammer 40K is absolutely staggering in my books.

It's on par with Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age and god knows what else out there in the world.

Few things that I like to mention, Skit the Servo-Skull is pretty catchy if I'd admit that and getting the correct positions via from the Warhammer40K official site/Codex's on actual ranks within any faction would be nice to know.

Apart from that, I got nothing else to say except I'll try to keep this story somewhat decent in length/quality.


	4. Chapter III

**The Inquisitor**

 **Chapter Three**

 _The fire's alone made my skin burn with an intensity that made my throat release a scream beyond anything I had ever imagined. Agony coursed inside my veins akin to acid eating its way through my body, I wanted to scream and never stop this unending purge of my body's natural state. Why in the name of the Emperor did I suffer so violently, so inexplicably pain wrenching that I felt my brain nearly imploded upon itself! Every confining second blistered and crushed the organ within my very skull. Blood trailed down my scalp from a wound sliced into my side. For I didn't dare move for the terrible agony alone made tears swell up._

 _Smoke clogged my nostrils as I gagged due to how thick it's potency rang into the air._

 _My hand clutched around my abdomen to the point where I felt warmth trickling past the cracks of my fingers, I looked down panting heavily. Red stains formed a small pool as I gagged trying to breath when I noticed how clean this slash had been given to me. Despite this feeling of a terrible agony, I felt an unnatural temptation of relief and it made my stomach implode upon itself. Vomit surged past my lips to spew over the ground to mix with your own life liquid in front of my eyes._

 _I wheezed in air when I struggled to raise my gaze._

 _To witness in what was around to see what was happening..._

 _The screams started to rise in earnest when I looked upon scores of various forms of people! By the golden throne they were being impaled through stakes and being cut down by what seemed to be swords with chains along their lengths. Intestines were ripped out from bodies of various genders, I could hear women, men and children all scream in a ungodly agony as laughter surged around my ears. Laughter not naturally aligned to any human I could ever imagine, so cruel yet so utterly appeased. I felt my gaze distort when the explosions rocked my kneeling body._

 _Tremors racked my skeleton beneath my flesh, I chanced a glance towards one of the many statues of the Emperor as it shattered into thousands of pieces. It fell like a predetermined blasted as dust and ashes reined over the air when I gagged yet again on the deteriorating air quality. Buildings were ablaze as bodies were thrown from the roof tops on a fiery crash to splatter over the pavement of the streets. I watched as people of all ages were sent to their doom from the blistering fates of those flames which snaked ever more twisted into the skies. Praises in some sort of twisted mockery came around this madness of destruction, I felt my vision grow dim for a moment when a searing pain racked my mind.  
_

 _Skies which were red almost dipped in blood and the lack of any sunlight made it a bleak existence._

" _ **Watch."**_

 _That whispering word ordered in the recesses of my own head._

 _I blinked when my vision turned hazy to have stare up at a shadowed figure in front of me. It was here I watched as a sword or a weapon of some kind entered the center of my forehead. The blade seemed to be dripping in consistent droplets of blood, I could see a trail of corpses leading up behind this figure in the looming visage of this destruction. Explosions and bolter fire could be heard around myself in this never sending hellish landscape of a world that probably had never seen such an end. My throat constricted when the figure in front of me raised the weapon almost signaling an advance for whatever was out there in this hellish nightmare._

" _ **Embrace it."**_

 _My body struggled to rise as I watched with widening eyes when this figure of sorts shrouded itself to stand over me. I gagged when a sense of rotting sickness and adrenaline surged into me as I looked on with my pupils straining to take in the coloration of the rising flames. Screaming appeared around me as people of various shapes or sizes were being cut down by other figures in a shrouded darkness to make my stomach uplift whatever was within. My arms became so strained to lift myself, I fell to my knees trying to make sense of this carnage erupting at my very eyes. It couldn't be as statues of the Imperium, the Emperor and the many other distorted icons were reduced to dust in seconds.  
_

 _Buildings began to tremble as they collapsed one after another, the clouds of metal and stone becoming nothing more then rubble..._

" _ **Do you fear perfection?"**_

 _I felt tears drip down my cheeks when I looked up at this faceless entity that stood over me. For I didn't dare to respond for I inwardly dreaded what malice would come next. In my blurring vision I could make out a brief outline of this figure, a bulky appearance at best and I allowed my head to fall. A half broken shotgun that looked eerily similar to the one I used to banish that daemon lay used with shells lying around my body. Pieces of metal and shards of gemstone were lying around in a mocking circle of beauty on a tragic note of sorts._

 _Water dropped down my face to stain the earth, the liquid hissed as it evaporated form the heated surface that I looked down upon._

 _Laughter echoed in my ears when something overly crushed my will to breathe, I looked up to see that shrouded outline of a sword cut into my face cheek briefly. The owner whose darkened mask merely started to laugh in open earnest at the despair that my mind contributed to this maddening infested landscape of fire and death. Nothing made sense when the smell of burning flesh and saturated blood strained the ground I knelt upon. Liquid dripped down from my nostrils, I absently raised a finger to wipe away the blood slowly trailing down due to the stress of the vessel within my flesh. Whatever was happening to me had practically crushed all notions I could resist, or fight back against this ungodly pressure of malice alone._

 _I snarled when something gripped the back of my head to force my gaze to the landscape! It hissed in a whispering devolution akin to bliss, " **Embrace perfection for it is what you crave. Do not look away for you have drawn my gaze upon your desires to wage perfection.** " That whispering crushed my mind as I yelled out of reflex, the painful resistance refused to be broken. I inhaled deeply doing what I could to ignore whatever details came to my senses as I refused! Yelling out I refused to bend to whatever this shrouded monstrosity demanded and I'd never enjoy this destruction because of what had happened to me._

 _Weakly my voice came to life, "Go feck yourself."_

 _Chuckling came to return when I got forced to the ground with what I assumed to be a limb crushing the small of my back. My teeth gritted when an all crushing force made me scream out in pain as deliberate motions to crush my spine came to pass. It felt like fire coursing inside my veins, it felt like being squeezed alive and all my heart could do was pitiful extend my life to the point where this crushing feeling became all consuming. I gagged when a strong force caved one of my ribs inwards as I yelled out in a terrible agony to feel my lungs being pierced by its own skeletal bones._

" _ **Such a naughty little child. Perhaps you're more familiar then you realize, pain can be a pleasure, as long as you accept its embrace. Are you not afraid of what you can achieve?** " I reached forward desperately trying to crawl away, I saw a shard of metal glimmering in the falling fires of this hellish landscape. Statues of the Emperor, the Imperium and various others were crumbling as the destruction echoed its potency with the screams of the dying. I witnessed a figure being pulled apart as wicked laughter sang into the distant horizon. Distantly a series of bolter weaponry fired erupted as resistance came in form of a distant group, I watched this with watering eyes. I had to survive, I had to survive and I had to survive for not my own sake but what happened to my friend._

 _Jane._

 _I couldn't die and fall to this twisted monstrosity of whatever it deemed itself to be in this time._

" _ **Oh how very sweet, your friends are coming child, they come to end their lives at my will alone. Such a wonderful little tool you're going to become, I must say you caught my eye on that day! A shame you tried so hard to avoid what I will delightfully always shall give to you.** " I gagged when the force lifted me upwards with what it had be a hand of sorts, I felt my neck constrict in trying to suffocate my very existence. Desperate I gripped the offending darkened appendage while kicking futilely at whatever held me above the ground. All for that effort, all for naught as I got nothing but a sickening cruel giggle of sorts to make me wheeze in air._

 _I knew for sure I was going to die._

 _I was going to die painfully._

 _And I was going to die without anyway to stop it._

" _Marcos!"_

 _My eyes looked over as tears smeared my vision into a watery mess, I noticed a figure with a loaded bolter in hand. The weapon held a scope of sorts as its wielder lay encased inside a reddish yet darkened power armor that looked oddly familiar. No face could be recognized as the distortions erupted around me in a flash of red and white, I couldn't see at this point. The grip around my throat had gotten worse and I prayed to the God-Emperor for a sign of help, I couldn't get free at all! Muscles tensed inside my arms trying in vain to pry this vice like darkened limb off my person._

 _The result was a cooing laughter echoing inside my ears and onto the surrounding area. Various forms arose around the perimeter encroaching upon my struggling form, " **Ah what a pleasantry that is truly a gift, I have not seen such a sight in many nights. Does this little one belong to you my dear?** " A scream escaped me when nails suddenly grew to lightly encroach into my neck's skin. Blood started to seep past the wound as I kicked wildly at any part of my would be captor, I needed to break free and I had to do it somehow!_

" _Let him go! Or face the wrath of the Emperor in a fiery retribution you foul heretic!" The declaration was met with a peal of twisted laughter. Amusement yet restrained hatred could be felt even with my lack of air suffocating my existence to the mortal coil of life. Movement shifted when I got held over in front of the arrival of whoever this was and my back blocked the forefront of this shrouded figure who held me captive. I gasped when the pressure released itself a bit teasingly, I felt tips of fingers brush against the side of my face to make me shudder in a disgusted manner._

" _ **Oh so you use that pitiful corpse Emperor as a means to threaten, yet he is nothing! You use his wretched existence as a means to threaten me? So what would you do if I did, per say, this to the little one?** " I felt something slimy lightly skim my cheek down across past my lips. I clamped down hard to avoid whatever such a foul sensation it held over my body, I resisted any means to show anymore weakness. The laughter didn't cease when another creeping feeling of limbs brushed my hair back as if in a mocking gesture of affection. I almost wanted to vomit at how inhumane the actions were compared to any other imaginative moment in my life._

 _This wasn't even remotely close to human at all._

 _A loaded shell from the bolter made my eyes glance behind me in vain to ignore this sensation, I heard a chuckle in response to that mechanism. " **Oh dear! Dare I say that this little one is your own? Or rather are you...** " The voice whispered tantalizingly deceptive as I gasped out in shock, I felt one of the sharped appendages cut down into my neck. I wheezed out for air when agony ripped into my lungs, I could scarcely hear the next words, " **...afraid for him? Do you care so much that he is yours to claim my dear? Don't those vows dissuade such notions?** "_

 _My eyes burned when I heard a snarl in response to those painfully barbed questions, I allowed my hand to drop to my waist. I felt no strength, no hope and sense of will to struggle as it got harder to breathe even lightly now. This vice that surrounded my neck shifted to the point where I felt fingers mockingly releasing and squeezing in a pattern as if debating to end my life alone. It became so hard to stay awake, so hard to remain living and it became so much easier to sleep, I blinked to feel that oncoming urge to just rest._

 _Why did I want to sleep when my grip started to slacken against my captors shadowed limb?_

 _Why..._

" _ **Look at how he struggled, this little one definitely tried admirably, yet he can't resist the will of my own. So what will you do now? Shoot me? Curse me?** " Laughter from other sources around in my blurred sight arose out of nowhere. It became akin to a group of whatever laughing at my plight, I had to do something or else this sleeping urge would be my death! As I dropped my hand next to my a waist, a cold feeling poked my lower ribs when my hand brushed against something sharp, I'd wager it was a knife of sorts. How in the Emperor's name and the golden throne did I ever have such a weapon hidden away on my frame despite this agony I suffered?_

" _I will purge your soul back to the Warp and may the Emperor himself burn your wretched existence in holy fire. I swear I'll tear your spine out when I get my hands on you." I heard that vehement threat which even made me shiver in how potent that promise of retribution came about. The grip on my person slackened briefly as if to humor the words alone, I found strength when my palm slipped under my torn shirt and vest. The pommel of the small dagger, or improvised shiv felt ice cold yet the fire inside my heart grew ever more all consuming. I waited when a deceptively sweet cooing answer echoed to the one with a bolter on hand, I didn't want to imagine what would be next, I had to remain strong in my position._

 _The cooing started, " **I don't doubt it my dear. I sense that beautiful desire to maim myself, a shame you will resist me but I can't say it'll be as long as this little one. Perfection is potential for you both, do you not want to see what power can be at your finger tips?** " Temptations were growing ever so forwardly yet the subtly implied at what was offered made my spine tingle. My captor literally started to move in a small circle deliberately using my body as a small shield to the one with a bolter, I resisted so hard to draw this shiv inside my vest but I prayed for strength. I didn't need the hope to remain alive anymore but merely something more sweeter._

 _I needed an opportunity..._

 _I needed a chance to free myself and I'd fight for my own chances to survive or not._

 _My eyes closed when I felt that fire growing within my mind for sure now. Oh I felt that burning sensation akin to banishing that daemon on my home world, so beneath my eye lids I swore my very organs would boil themselves into a mist. Every tear seemed like solid magma, I could cringe or cry out due to how hot this fire burned inside my very core and yet I embraced it in a manner to grasping at my lost chance of resistance to this unholy vice crushing my throat. It took so much fortitude to remain idle, to remain so passively and so very patient that it nearly got my last remnants of air to see like an eternity to take into my lungs._

 _The movements stopped when I gripped the shiv inside my vest, I waited as a retort came back to those offers of temptation._

" _If you think I'm the only one who desires to maim you, well you'd be rather surprised to know that someone else is just as eager as I." A finger like motion teased in a circular motion on my cheek, I held my instincts back to shiver as the shrouded captor giggled. " **Oh? Who else besides, you, I or the little one is what you speak about? Surprise me.** " That taunt was met by a screeching shriek as I felt the grip slacken in where I dropped to the ground, I rolled away quickly and fast as I could to get some distance. Bolter fire erupted when it struck against something metallic or perhaps it had been flesh because I barely could stand on my own._

" _On your feet! Quickly!"_

 _Someone's limb got me onto my feet, I stumbled in my hazy vision to see a massive figure looming above me. The power armor frame masked the face of the individual as bolter fire flashed near my forehead, I felt the heat of the ejected rounds and how the air split from the weaponry's own intentions to destroy an enemy of mankind. Ejected casings of the rounds briefly fell around me when I took in the environment slowly as if caught in a trance, I blinked once to see something akin to a flash of purple course through the air to strike the person in the armor. It felt so surreal to a streak of light smash into armor alone and have it cave like a crinkling paper before my very eyes._

 _A scream of unholy rage filled the air as the armored figure knelt right in front of me reeling from that light's hit!_

 _I tried to reach for the person's face..._

 _Yet a sword punctured the person's body from behind to have my face become splattered in a red crimson spray._

 _Tears went down my eyes as pain exploded inside my heart._

 _My hands reached out as a flash of light revealed someone's face..._

 _I roared out when I saw the features!_

" _NO!"_

* * *

I gasped out in shock to shoot up from my bed with sweat drenching my entire body, I could feel droplets running down my face to stain the sheets. I felt so sick right now as my stomach convulsed and I immediately ran to the bathroom, I threw up into the sink trying to get the vile taste of this latest nightmare to be purged from my mind's confines. I allowed my stomach to uplift anything remaining from last nights dinner into the sink itself, I coughed violently before exhaling sharply. Tears were running down my face when I looked to the mirror to see my own reflection within it's frame alone.

"Another nightmare. This one was so different from all the others, why in the Emperor's name am I suffering from these things." I whispered when I saw the pale complexion of my skin which had an unnatural sheen of sweat layered. Shuddering violently a chill ran up my back when I rinsed out the contents in the sink to see it spiral down the drain, when that was cleansed, I cupped water onto my hands and had myself splash the cold water onto my overheated face. I remained supported against the frame near the wall for several minutes, I didn't want to move until I regained some sort of control over my core functions apart from breathing.

And with time came the return of my strength to my limbs.

"I'm starting to fecking hate being a psyker, Tartarus says 'dreams become more vivid' due to my connection to the warp. She never said how _real_ it seems, Emperor's blood, what a load of shit." I snarled when I moved back into my room to see a bundle of folded clothing neatly prepared near my doorway. Skit probably had delivered them when I was asleep, my servo-skull familiar and companion literally had remained plugged into an outlet to be upgraded at my teachers own whims. Wiping any moisture away off my forehead, I moved to change into clothing for a new day and I certainly welcomed the change into my routine.

One week if not a bit more passed then my introduction to training and tutoring Sister Anora of the Adeptas Sororitas. My mind inwardly shivered and my body ached from the combative sword training sessions alone, " _If I ever thought Jane was a taskmaster, well Anora puts her to shame hands down! Praise the God-Emperor for Skit's audio recording and hologram player to memorize all the lessons. I'd be knee deep in my own blood if I messed up on the week ending graduation examination. I swear Tartarus intentionally messed with me when she said, 'use whatever assets to attain progress' and sent me off afterwards."_

Rolling my shoulders to ward off any potential stiffness that I had gathered during my restless night of sleep. Placing those thoughts aside, I started to change into my normal attire that had been provided and selected for whatever reasoning. Wearing black pants with a pair of steel toe boots that were somehow crafted for my size along with a simply gray undershirt to keep my appearance less then friendly. A small leather vest that could be adjusted had been given to me on top of a pair of gloves that I wanted to remove the fingers for more of a natural feeling for whatever I had to pick up. Overall the amount of dark clothing just screamed archaic to my mind and it wasn't quite as clear to imagine in a hive city during the day.

But the most interesting piece of my clothing came in the form of a necklace of sorts.

A singular rectangle like blue rosette with a skull in the middle, I felt really put off at how simply detailed it got compared to the full rosette I saw my Inquisitor teacher with on her body. Curiosity got the better of me to ask my would be source of any information. I checked over to see him in an idle state of power recharging, or conserving for whatever tasks he'd be needed for in the future. I knew he was all set to go, so I didn't hesitate to get the answers I wanted and needed right now.

"Skit. What am I holding here?"

I voiced that out to the servo-skull whose sensors picked up my request.

Skit immediately came online when I palmed the small piece of steel in the middle of my palm, he floated over before scanning my limb. I waited for a moment due to the fact I hadn't seen this type of rosette at all when I was with Tartarus, " _Confirmed. Acolyte Eius recognized as official Inquisitorial Apprentice of Inquisitor Jalena Tartarus. Seal of Apprenticeship acknowledged."_ Well now I knew what I was holding when I placed it around my neck, I tucked in the chilling metal close to my chest and it never got warm. Exhaling deeply I adjusted all the clothing to my best needs and managed to at least prepare myself for a new routine since ending my tasks with Sister Anora.

I still planned on visiting the chapel whenever I could to learn anything else besides training.

"Any messages during the night Skit? Think Tartarus wants to spring another surprise me at the last minute, or what?" I asked the servo-skull as it hovered in front of chiming while scanning for any latest updates. I adjusted the vest and my boots in the meantime to wait as Skit responded in his usual monotone level of a voice module, " _Acknowledged Acoylte Eius. One message from Lady Inquisitor Tartarus marked exactly one hour ago, she requests your presence in her private study when you had awoke."_ My shock hadn't really been that strong this time around but I accepted the information with a good head at the least. Adjusting the rest of my clothing I placed the rosette necklace around my neck one last time and so got the rest of myself situated.

"Alright Skit. Lead the way, please."

The servo-skull merely chimed in accordance to my order, I followed him out of the doorway when I had to lock my personal quarters.

Keeping up with Skit wasn't as hard as it had been when I initially got him from the Inquisitor. Due to the week of progressing and doing basic physical workouts I did see the effects of such a rigorous reign of routines. Even though I was merely a child, I had to develop what little improvement into lean muscles for speed since it was practically a waste until I grew up to develop bulkier muscle for strength. Sister Anora had stated that as a child, I had to deal with what I had to do, so I had to run or just do a lot of stretching in order to keep myself physically ready for whatever reasons. Personally I just wanted to eat more grox burgers when the time came, I always felt a lot more at home in order to deal with this new life of sorts.

I moved down the hallways and corridors to see the occasional storm trooper in full gear, I had to assume they were training or something along those lines. Every now or then I witnessed the soldiers like them outside of their uniforms in a casual attire. Normally I hardly could tell people apart at least when it came down to when they were fully geared up. More then once people gave me a wide berth as Skit led the way to my master, or teachers private study once again. This part of the ships living quarters were only for what I assumed to be Tartarus's retinue of assets, myself included, so it wasn't very lively for a better lack of a word.

However today it wasn't as dead, I witnessed small squads of troopers both in gear and not walking around the corridors.

"Hey Skit, what's the deal with everyone running today? Any particular reason?" I asked my servo-skull familiar who didn't reply at first. The usual chime of processing the question made him speak in his monotone while leading me onwards to the private study, " _Question acknowledged. Inquisitor Tartarus has deemed parameters involving crew and Inquisitorial troopers to be deemed on a need to know basis. Apologies Acolyte Eius, information is restricted until further notice, please continue proceeding to follow this unit."_ I shook my head at the lack of information, I just wanted to know if anything strange was happening today because I had never seen so many people moving about. More so on a ship like the Glowing Sabre, Emperor's blood I just wanted to be ready for anything!

I started to grumble due to being genuinely annoyed at realizing I had been strung along yet again.

"Being conscripted by the Inquisition is one thing but being kept in the dark is another thing entirely! Like the fact nothing in the data slates Sister Anora gave me aren't anything more helpful about Inquisitors, I think I know half the Saints of the Adeptas Sororitas though." My only consolation of a consciousness was that I had started to learn more about the Imperial Truth. I knew Saint Mina and her martyrdom by heart because of how close it meant for Sister Anora who had trained me over the week. So I had a personal motivation to at least make my mentor and friend happy to know I wasn't throwing away any information given to me willingly to say the least.

And that was what the good came up too.

The negatives of being consistently tested, being pushed and just flat out being beaten down made my nights blissfully tormenting when nightmares came around. I did what I could to block them out but they always returned no matter how much effort I contributed. Lately these nightmares were getting more vivid yet vague to see so much destruction that it terrified my own sanity. I had no idea in what I could do to prevent them and I became all the more willing to ask Tartarus about such tendencies. Although I had a growing instinct she'd just dismiss the nightmares as meager nuisances for whatever reasoning, so it left me with the option of baring through it and try to remain positive. Even though it took a lot out of me to get onto my feet time and time again for experience.

It all seemed to never end.

Eventually I made my way to Tartarus's private study, I witnessed two stormtroopers guarding the entrance as Skit hovered directly over my right shoulder. Absently I felt the heat of his propulsion systems keeping him afloat and I spoke up a bit apologetic to disturb the troopers. "Excuse me. I got a message through Skit that Tartarus wants to see me, is it alright if I can go in, I don't want to interrupt her if she's busy." My uneasy smile made one of the two Inquisitorial troopers glance down at my small frame as if a bit curious. His compatriot on the other hand started to open the module to unlock the door as if my request were a direct order and I heard snickering for whatever reasons why.

Neither of them held any red outlines to indicate anger.

But merely a light gray as if they were not offended by my request.

"No need to state your intentions kid, Inquisitor's orders are for us to always allow you entrance to her study. Throne we're just a bit surprised you're asking _us_ to let _you_ in." I shrugged helplessly as I didn't have a clue to the man who snorted at my bewildered expression. I guess the both of us were a little shocked for one reason or another, so I just offered a thankful nod. "Thanks. Now I feel like I just screwed you guys over in doing your jobs properly." Both Inquisitorial troopers laughed at that as if finding my uneasiness amusing, I just rolled with it as the hive gangsters all did during a fight that got out of control. I figured I had no reason to think they were laughing at me, I mean I found the situation kind of amusing as well and that said a lot about how well I took things at first mentioning.

The door slid open within moments as I stepped through with a small sheepish smile forming.

And it closed within a second.

I stepped through with Skit floating past me to go scan other data slates that were within the libarium's own internal storage's, I noticed a few more servo-skulls doing similar tasks. My eyes lingered for a second before returning to my Inquisitorial mentor herself, she was wearing a casual attire that looked incredibly striking to make her seem more humane that I had ever seen her at any point. Her eyes barely left the console on her desk. Absently she commented without even glancing at myself, "I see you've found your clothing finally. It took a fair bit of time to requisition sizes for yourself, but it's good to see a proper Acolyte under the Inquisition."

I gave a weak smile in return, "It's a start. So what did you summon me for Tartarus? I thought I'd be down at the Chapel continuing my combative and education like you assigned me too."

My questions weren't pointless as the Inquisitor hummed almost contently. "Indeed but your tasks have been completed much to my knowledge. The Adeptas Sorortias are impressed at how well you took to their tutelage under them this past fortnight, so be at ease, I'm not disappointed Marcos." I resisted an urge to grin, I didn't like praises that much and to be fair it seemed awkward to accept them. I just wanted to learn, to grow stronger and to do what I dreamed in doing to make sure I didn't have to witness something like Jane's death all over again.

I wanted to learn more regardless of how the odds were stacked against my meager self.

"Praises aren't given lightly by those who don't issue them." Tartarus stated rather amused as I rolled my eyes, "Still it's good of you to remain humbled and to always know humility for your time amongst the Inquisition Marcos." I had seen arrogant gangsters back when I was living under the hive city, I saw how bad they got and when the time came for them to be jumped. They got knocked down hard and sometimes fatally, I remembered a few pieces of people acting like asses to get their own flesh cut off quickly.

"The reason why I summoned you here to my study, is not out of a personal satisfaction, but out of mutual concern to be dropping down onto another planet in this sector's many systems." My teacher informed me sternly as I looked up at her wide eyed, "You mean we're traveling to another planet already? I thought we were next to my home, ever since that day but still..." I trailed off suddenly as the Inquisitor merely raised an eyebrow at my realization since that day. The reason why I had been dreaming so vividly of these nightmares wasn't because of a random, or a subconsciousness instinct that plagued my thoughts.

We had been traveling through the warp.

And as a pskyer the proximity of being near it made the vivid nightmares make sense.

Yet that wasn't the mind shocker to get me thunder struck.

My teacher revealed the true bomb shell, "Yes. We've been traveling in the warp for about a day, or two. This morning per Holy Terra's local time we arrived within the orbit of a Shrine World. Within the next few hours you'll be reporting back here to meet with me and a small retinue to search the planet itself for a developing Warp-Rift. My sources have indicated that such an incursion is well on its way, the only matter we as the Ordos Malleus have to determine, is whether this planet is salvageable or not." She finished gauging my reaction as I stuttered like an absolute fool, I had no way to imagine that this was truly happening. It'd only had been a week, or so since leaving home and she wanted me to go to another planet to start hunting daemons?

Did I hear that right?

The woman didn't immediately calm myself down as I managed to ask a weak yer very relative question, "A warp rift? What in the feck is that supposed to mean?"

Tartarus gestured to the chairs in front of her desk, I took one without hesitation to know what in the name of the golden throne we'd be doing. Already a fortnight into a new forced life and I'd be putting my neck on the line for the Imperium as an agent of the Inquisition, so no pressure at all. "A warp rift is what it means, a bridge between our physical realm and those of the Immaterium where daemons alike fest in waiting. More so you could call it a Warp-Gate, I've seen numerous texts on what names could be but the intents are as clear as blood." She said this with a calm yet very informative narration as I tried to understand the scope of we'd be accomplishing on this planet.

Slowly I started to speak up while musing as my teacher waited patiently.

She folded her arms to hear my thoughts and to grasp in what the mission would be soon enough. "So we're here to stop daemons from crossing over? Crossing from their side onto ours and we have to find the source of _how_ it'd be possible?" I struggled to understand just how it'd be physically possible for anyone to literally bring them over. I might as have well been asked what it took to become a Patron Saint of the Adeptas Sororitas since I technically didn't understand the process in that sense either. It really became a challenge to understand a concept that I had no idea in how it'd be plausible for me to accept it.

So color me confused as a grox to the slaughter.

"All it takes is one heretic of a cult to spread discord and the will of Chaos on a planet Marcos. It happens to a lot of them and even your own home world had sects of them running a muck. We as the Ordos Malleus are to intervene when a cult, or the taint of Chaos has reached a tipping point in where they'd summon daemons into our realm to further spread their vile faith. It saves resources and we can respond a bit quicker when the indicators all point to a daemonic incursion on the horizon" She elaborated when I started to take in the reasoning behind it, I had to assume that the Imperium was so vast that there had to be limits. It was like taking over one street block as a hive gang and it got difficult to maintain control over it when the amount of members were needed to hold the ground. At least it's what mattered to me in order to justify what her explanation meant.

It still didn't make feel any less easy to know I'd be on a new planet for the first time ever.

"So we're going down there to combat this potential daemon summoning? If we're supposed to do that then how?" I asked nervously as the woman gestured to the far wall. I turned around to see a table set up with a variety of weaponry, a variety that I saw beforehand. Oh I recognized the insignia of the Imperium and a few other liquids meant to be blessed of the Rites of Purification via the Chapel on-board. I even reconfirmed the glyphs and a few various other assortments meant by the Sororitas as a means to bless their own weaponry due to their Order's Patron Saints.

Bolt pistols, swords, flamer units meant to be attachments to bolters and a few other misc like items littered the surface.

"I don't need to explain those weapons Marcos, I'm sure Sister Anora has taught you the basics to bless any weapon and for which I'm grateful of her to show the methods." I turned back to her when she stood up to over towards the table, I witnessed her pick up a familiar weapon. My eyes widened as my Inquisitorial teacher lifted a cleanses and clearly remodeled shotgun that became all too apparent. In fact my heart almost clenched in which I knew what weapon that was in the first place.

That was the very same shotgun rebuilt and blessed when I banished that monstrosity.

A daemon that killed Jane.

"Yes. I had to bargain with a tech-priest whose aboard our ship to rebuild and redesign your formerly crude weapon for it's new purpose Marcos. Blessed shells are fed into the chamber directly and you can switch it from semi to automatic on the side, so remember to stock up on holy ammunition." Tartarus wore a simple yet very practical casual set of clothing. A robe of sorts covered her frame while she walked bare foot to place the weapon in front of my trembling form, I had to focus on her bringing her hair back to ignore the phantom pains of seeing that object. I didn't respond but my hands numbly traced the new model of weapon and it still seemed to be stained in blood.

Blood that would never cease to plague my mind.

"You'll be using that as your primary weapon, I'll have one of my troopers give you a knife for good measure and a las-pistol that will do yourself some insurance. Make no mistake you'll have a bag to carry that weapon but a cloak to conceal the other secondary means until the time is right to storm the Warp-Rift's conception within it's discovered area." I looked up at her with a pained grimace in seeing another detail of what made my heart hurt terribly. It did little good when she spoke directly into my mind.

Her tone wasn't comforting at all.

" _As I said on the first day I encountered you. Your feelings are a moot point for myself to consider, so strengthen that resolve and simply accept it. I will accept nothing less as an Acolyte of the Inquisition and more so one under my own will. Is that understood Marcos Eius?"_ The woman's eyes narrowed onto my face as I bit my lip trying to ignore an urge to refuse. I didn't want to remember what I had tried to move on from and using that thing would only keep that pain fresh. It fecking hurt to the point where I clenched my hands in where I actively felt my own knuckles pop.

Inhaling deeply I stared right back at her, "Understood mam."

"Good. Now you'll be deployed under a pretext of a cover to be assigned under the Adeptas Sororitas who will visit this Shrine-World on an official pilgrimage. You have prior knowledge and experience in knowing their ways, so stick with Sister Anora's superior as your consultant. I will be leading another retinue of troopers. Officially we're under the orders of a High-Lord of Terra in inspecting a certainly sub-sector planetary bodies his control, we'll be given free reign to inspect whatever. However this does not mean we shall flaunt out status as members of the Holy Inquisition Marcos." She warned me near the end of this explanation as questions were forming inside my mind. I wanted to know a few things when we hit down onto the ground, I wanted to get these doubts out of myself in order to be ready for whatever was going to happen.

" _Speak your mind Marcos."_

I heard that request with a firm implication of obedience.

"What if I get separated and I can't prove I'm with them. Doesn't seem like anyone will believe a person like me whose lived in an under city for all my life, a kid and one under the Sisterhoods as a what? A scribe plus I mean taking a word of a street rate whose a second rate hive gangsters isn't exactly legit." My bitter questions rung out as Tartarus easily countered that scenario with something to make my gasp out loud. I nearly jumped to my feet at how seriously fecked up this would be if things got that bad, "Then you'll be my child. I can pass you off as my own and it won't matter much, since few dare to question such tendencies under the High-Lords themselves. It's a minor issue to be honest"

I looked at her and then to a mental picture of myself. I almost started to shake my head and the idea of this woman being a figurative parent of mine, I nearly cried. To cry out in utter comical madness that such an excuse wouldn't work. So I dared to ask the legit streak of such a folly, "No way in the Emperor's own divine ways would you and I be related Tartarus! Feck that, we don't even look alike and just how would that be right?"

The Inquisitor merely used a word to send my mind to screeching halt.

"Adoption."

I stared at her as if she were joking.

And she merely stared right back.

Holy Throne of Terra did I sadly realize she wasn't even close to that type of humor.

It came to crush my skull when she elaborated almost truly amused at my disbelief alone. "Adoption is a just a front Marcos, trust me, I know how to subtly infiltrate any Imperial World's bureaucracy give the resources at my disposal. Besides with the way you react to even any implied notions will be even more of a legitimized result of myself as a trouble mother to scold her son. Not too different from being a master and an acolyte no less I'm afraid." She said this with a straight face that got me almost irritated to issue a scathing retort at such an implication. By the Emperor's own holy will did I resist and it nearly killed me to accept the realism in such a cover.

" _I don't even want to imagine why you'd use me as such a thing. I don't understand and I don't even have a choice except to accept it. Right?"_

Tartarus merely offered a small grin while gesturing to the shotgun. Her tone wasn't as cold but merely expectant of my resignation, "Indeed so. To put you at ease one again my apprentice, this mission isn't as nearly as dangerous, so it's relatively manageable. At least compared to what I've done in the past as an agent of the Holy Inquisition for the Imperium." She became a bit more serious with a grim smile forming as I blinked owlishly at what she was implying. Apart of me wanted to accept what she had done yet I had to ask in vain.

"What's the worst thing you've done?" My question was met with an immediate answer with a grim full blown smile.

The woman didn't do anything other then shake her head, "Things that will make you consider your _own_ nightmares to seem like sweet dreams Marcos."

At the time I didn't consider in what that meant.

Yet in that same time, I knew already I had the answers.

It's just I'd learn something in the future about when I dreamed within my mind.

Apparently some dreams weren't always what they seemed.

 **End Chapter Three**

 **Author's Note:** I'm desperate for reviews, please for the love of god, if you're reading this then simply tell me what you think of this story. Come on people, I'm not asking for a miracle but merely something to show if I'm writing this type of thing _right_ or _wrong_ for that matter alone. Please I'm kind of paranoid I'm messing around with something that shouldn't be plausible for anything in the Warhammer 40K setting.

So I ask yet again (please) to leave reviews.

And I'll continue to not have an anxiety attack in the lack of them in the coming days.

That's all I have to say.


	5. Chapter IV

**The Inquisitor**

 **Chapter Four**

The drop down into this planet's atmosphere would be what I described as a consistently shaking can. If a person shook the contents within, well we'd be the contents within, I almost threw up twice on the way down. I had been given all my equipment to manage and hopefully pray to the God-Emperor on whether they'd last me my duration of this mission. The transporter wasn't as bad at first glance but the entry into a gravitational orbit of a new planet, I'd never forget the moment when my face paled to the tone of a corpse when the shaking had started. The time frame had been over ten minutes so far and by the golden throne I'd kiss the ground when the opportunity presented itself.

On a better note, I had Skit stored inside my bag.

Said bag which had a small case of holy ammunition shells for my weapon, a weapon that remained attached under the cloak. The las-pistol was attached to a hostler on my right hip and several power packs were tucked away inside my bag as well. It had been a tight squeeze when I had to heft the weight under the cloak yet it would do its job until whenever I needed them. Also I kept my knife within the confines of my pant leg, I'd rather keep that thing concealed at all costs and it'd do me a favor to learn from when hive gangsters used shivs in the oddest places. I had to go with the impression that one needed a knife no matter where they'd be traveling in the Imperium.

Another hard jerking lurch of the transporter got my stomach to churn and I had to close my eyes to concentrate on breathing.

"You going to make it Marcos?" Sister Anora said to me amused as several of her sisters themselves were chortling at my paling face. I shook my head with an honest yet strained smile, "First time for everything. I don't think I'm going to like drops like this at all." The Adeptas Sororitas contingent would be visiting the main temple dedicated to the Emperor and apart of this sectors Patron Saint for their own order. Tartarus had ordered me to use my psyker like mindset to search for any signs of corrupted, or rather blind hatred from anyone. She made sure to tell me that the contingent would my cover and vice verse who had been on the lookout for such signs as well.

Well they were always looking for heretics as my teacher told me.

So them being told would merely be a repetitive process and so she only had to brief myself. I had received a data slate from her that Skit had scanned for details pertaining to this planet. He provided me the means as I studied in what the details were stored inside the Imperium's vast planetary storage archives. My body eased itself when I remembered only the important aspects, " _Shrine-World Mastora. Formed recently in M41 and only has been around for about a century, if not two. Population two hundred fifty million. Similar to native conditions on Terra yet only difference is that the seasons change rapidly every third month from summer into winter."_

Not to mention the size of the planet was roughly ten times the size of Terra, so the vast distances made the population rather spaced out pending on the major cities. The shrine itself was within the capital of thirty five million alone and Tartarus would be visiting the Planetary Governor in his own palace on the same continent. Apparently the governing body of this planet had a strange tendency to leave the governor's palace separate from the main city to keep the virtue of the Shrine-World to build statues and monuments to the Emperor. I didn't care at all due to a simple fact.

I lived in a hive city and having to deal with tens of billions in such a place was familiar enough.

"Hear me my fellow Sisters. This world has a shrine and a temple dedicated to one of our sister orders whose Saint we've been cleared to visit on your own rights to become fully fledged Sisters of Battle." Sister Anora's superior addressed the confined transporter as they all carried their power armors and weapons fully loaded. I guess they had the right to bare arms to go wherever they pleased for in search of heretical citizens and what not that were denouncing the Imperium's Faith to our God-Emperor. They had their own mission which wouldn't deviate too much from my own with the Inquisition, I'd say Tartarus wanted us to cover more ground and to discover anything on our separate ends.

And we had the means to keep in contact.

Skit could transmit a message to her own servo-skull if something did come up.

"Despite our pure and righteous pilgrimages as Adeptas Sororitas, be vigilant for those who would dim our God-Emperor's light and his holy divinity of his Imperium. No heretic, Xeno or blasphemer can offer no excuse for their crimes if they walk amongst us. Be aware and we will not allow such filth to not be purged by our flames of purification." The Superior Advance Battle Sister stated to her fellows as I watched near the back of the confined compartment. I didn't dare chime in, or even move until Anora's own superior had said her piece to her subordinates and squad mates alike.

Once we ended this nightmarish drop from the skies, I'd be in my full reign to explore and stick by them until things were situated with Tartarus who had a contingent of storm troopers on her group on the other side of the main continent. " _Mastora Spaceport inbound. Five minutes."_ The pilot's vox came over the speakers inside the hold, I inwardly prayed to the Emperor for such a blessing to end this monstrosity of a flight. I'd probably lose control over my stomach if this racket of an insane descent onto a new world.

"Anora, Helena, Kaitlin. You three are at the end of your Noivicate and as Constantia Advances, I expect you three to assist me. To assist myself in searching for any signs of heresy, corruption or Xeno influences." The senior amongst the Adeptas Sororita squad stated to three people who I knew probably two. Besides Anora I knew Helena who was of the same rank as my formal educator of the Imperial Creed and Faith alone. She had been a practice partner for my teacher and I had been instructed to find any flaws in the basic stances, I got all of them right in theory but in practice it was difficult to tell. She wasn't as stern nor reprimanding as Anora yet the woman clearly found my presence to be oddly relaxing.

Many of the Sororitas found myself to be learning from them as an honor.

Officially Inquisitor Tartarus entrusted them of my educations about the Imperium and teachings of the Imperial Faith as a whole.

I listened in for a moment on the most senior and zealot of them all. I felt a little uneasy because in what lied in subtly to those who stood against them. "As for the rest of you, your Noivicate will only be furthered until the day you join our ranks of the Sisterhood as full fledged Battle Sisters. As we march onto our fellow Sisters temple! We shall chant the light of the Emperor's divinity and we shall carry out our banners high, for we are the Adeptas Sororitas of the Order of the Bloody Rose. May Saint Mila guide our hands in the divinity and faith to our God-Emperor!"

The armored women roared their approval by raising their hands in a battle-cry group prayer to the Emperor himself. I remained silent not wishing to draw their more fanatical tendencies, I technically shouldn't have been listening in the first place but it wasn't like I had a choice. I bowed my head in a prayer of my own to ask for a blessing to watch over my friends amongst these power armored forms, I wanted them all to be safe and for the Emperor to protect them over my own meager self. I found it an irony that before anything I was always a selfish person, a kid, but selfish all the same.

When I had a happy life, an old life I always had a person who I looked up. Who I cared for despite the grim yet liveable conditions and I had all the reasons to go beyond what I could do. I squandered that familiarity and those chances to act like a selfish, irresponsible and ultimately an idiotic child. I may have been a child but seeing a person who I loved as a sister, a mother and what not being torn apart could change anyone if I reckoned. I could never forgive myself for acting like a coward, I could never forgive myself to be happier and I had to step as apart of the Inquisition.

And now in a forced life that could kill me.

With the means to be a danger to anyone and everyone, I felt myself change. I knew this life could kill me based on what was being expected, so why? Why did I want other people, others who were total strangers, why did I want them to live more then myself? These questions burned inside my mind, I wanted these Sisters of Battle to be protected and to give them more of a chance to live another day. I was scared yet I wasn't terrified to give up my life for another person, I should have done that for Jane yet I ran like a coward.

" _A pathetic wretched coward who abandoned the one who he cherished to survive like a rat."_

My eyes closed when a tear fell down my cheek to hit the metallic floor, I clasped both hands into a prayer to the God-Emperor on the Golden Throne of Terra. I prayed so hard just this once and I'd never say again that I believed in a miracle for the Emperor to give out to those who prayed to him. If prayers could be answered then I offered my prayers to those who I cared for and for them to be protected, I'd rather lay down my life as much as it scared me, to have them see another day. I knew for a fact no kid my age, or a gangster could say that to himself and expect to feel no differently.

"Marcos?"

I looked up to see Sister Anora staring at my lone tear with concern, I just gave a smile. It wasn't forced but I knew clear as day she'd pick up on it in not being a happy gesture, "I'm fine. I just wanted to pray to the God-Emperor for a favor, I don't want you to worry about me. Please." The power armor of the Adepta Sororita made it slightly difficult for her to get on a knee to reach my level. She did so while stretching her armored limb to wipe away the tear that formed down my face, her hair white as snow yet all the more lively due to the flashing of lighting from the portholes near the doorway. I felt my heart freeze because in how warm her gaze looked down at me.

I'd swear she had to be the incarnation of Saint Mila herself.

"You maybe an eager learner Marcos, but you're horrible at lying." She chuckled at my helpless shrug since she wasn't wrong. I was just bad at lying to people who I liked, "Are you scared in coming to a new planet for the first time?"

I shook my head in response to that question, "Something a bit more then that Anora. I'm more scared for everyone else then my own sorry flesh, so believe that or not. I just don't want anyone to die." The woman looked at me a bit concerned since this was honestly a new development for myself to consider. I don't think she understood fully yet that would be the point I wanted to keep, I'd rather die then someone else in my stead, I thought of it being a foolish person who wanted to be a hero. Although no hero in the texts that I had read had stolen, or possibly fought over turf to brag about it as influence over a hive block. I didn't want Sister Anora or any of the Sisters of Battle that I had come to known to be hurt, or killed during my mission to uncover the Warp-Rift that Tartarus told me that would open up.

I wanted them to avoid it!

If it was possible to begin with really.

"Don't fear the unknown Marcos, I know for sure you may be a child yet you will have the courage of any man to face what troubles him. Even our greatest Saints of the Sisterhood have had their fears known and yet they stand up in the face of the heretic, the corrupted and the Xeno alike for having the Emperor guide their hands for his divinity." Anora said to me with a confident tone, I liked when she definitely took the moment to tell me what others had done. The Patron Saints seemed almost related for any person to imagine, I felt my heart ease itself back down. I felt so pathetic in needing someone to comfort me yet what could I do right now?

Cry?

Tears weren't going to help me, or anyone in this life as far as I knew now.

"I thought Saint Alicia held no fear for when she ended the Age of Apostasy. You told me a story in how she had been chosen to witness the Emperor and slay the madman who ruled over Holy Terra." I said to her asking if such a tale was a lie. I liked the idea of seeing a person who stood up to slay a heresy and an over madman who created a reign of blood. It had be almost five thousand years since the day the tale of the Patron Saint walking into the bowels of the reign of insanity to cut the head off the snake itself, the very head of the madness and walked out a hero. I wondered how could such a person do that such a thing like that and not fear anything?

What made people do amazing things for others to remember?

An answer came from a person that I did not expect. "For every story has it's truth and every truth has a small contingent of lies to enhance the act. Acolyte."

This came from the head of the Adepta Sororitas who was within the transporter. My eyes looked to her as the various initiates and what not made way her to kneel in a similar fashion as Anora had. Unlike the person who taught me a lot within the past fortnight, or so. The eldest and most senior Sister of Battle held my gaze all too easily when I looked hesitant to answer her back. Steel eyes with the gaze of a woman who had been many things in her time, the eyes of a killer, the eyes of a grieving person and the pained depths in what had to be done.

Unlike the rest of her contingent, the armor she wore had decorations of sealing, purity rites and what not at various places. Welded seals of purity were along her shoulder area as scripts of text hung vertically to sway from her movements. Inscriptions in High Gothic were what drew me to study them for a moment but in the end I looked to the much elder white haired woman. When she spoke I listened with a gaze that I had never given to anyone in my entire life. Not even Tartarus could force such a willing notions inside my heart, I felt compelled to listen and throughout it all I had the faith to warm my hopes that everything would be all right.

" _The Emperor protects."_

The Sister Superior placed a metal gauntlet on my shoulder, I winced briefly due to its weight. "That tale of how our Patron Saint, who gave birth to our Orders is not without faults Acolyte, Alicia had her fears when she wrote down her missives. Every Sister of Battle who distinguishes herself is told of this tale to know even she feared to meet the Emperor, Saint Alicia wrote in her own words she was afraid of the Emperor for what she had done in his under the orders of a mad lord of Holy Terra and for that alone she signaled it out as her worst." My eyes were wide as the other power armored women were smiling either grimly or with a small sense of comfort at my shock. It seemed they had all heard the tale at some point and inwardly gauging how I'd react to its unfolding.

"So she was afraid because she was merely following orders?" I guessed as the woman snorted a bit bemused at my nervous look. "Indeed. Most would have said because in being his presence alone which is a small truth but not as much as that fear of the unknown. Alicia didn't know how the Emperor would react, or give a sign to such an antagonized war on the very planet we call our holy birthplace. But something did happen and she personally ended that reign of that foul heretic." The transporter shifted when some sort of turbulence hit at the last second. It shifted me briefly but all the power armored Sisters stood firm, I even got myself steadied by the two kneeling next to me.

"What did happen when she met the Emperor in his throne room?" I asked curiously as both Adeptas Sororitas merely smiled sadly.

Anora spoke up first in a somber manner akin to a latent desire that many sought. "No one knows to this day Marcos. Within the Palace, Alicia never spoke of what occurred when she had been taken to the heart by the Adeptus Custodes who guard the Emperor to this day." Her answer felt like a crushing blow to my mental fortitude to understand why. So I looked down trying to process in what was said until the senior Sister got my attention. The much older woman didn't relent in what was being said to me.

She kept her tone very light yet firm as steel. "That is not the reason for such a tale. The point is Acolyte, is that fear can lead many astray yet it's when those who understand that fear. They understand in how to channel it's potency into the Faith for our God Emperor who will guide you right. Use that faith as your greatest strength, so allow that zeal inside your heart to flourish, for in the end no fear shall rule your mind." The woman lowered her head against mine as a means to convey her faith in me, to convey that hope of our Faith in the Emperor who watched over mankind and we would always remain loyal to his divinity.

I closed my eyes feeling that warmth surge into my heart, "I understand Sister."

Yet again her answer startled me.

"Theresa." I blinked a bit at that when the woman explained, "Sister Theresa is my name to you Acolyte."

So that made three Sororitas I knew on a first name basis, I felt happier yet I still kept my smile in place. Nodding my head to her, I replied formally in a manner that Anora and Tartarus had given me in my lessons during the time I had outside of combative training sessions. "Well it's nice to meet you too Sister Theresa. Marcos Eius is my name and thank you again for having me in your care." Anora smiled at the gesture her superior gave in verbal friendship to me, I believed she found it endearing to see the much serious veteran of the her Order seemingly kinder. I didn't put too much thought into it except for when her forehead placed itself against mine when she offered one last piece of advice.

"Never lose Faith in the Emperor Marcos, never. For his will works in ways we are meant to find out, fear is not unnatural to us yet do not allow it to claim you. You do that and you will learn the greatest secret that any Saint, or one of our own can claim to have inside their hearts." Theresa told me gently despite her rough exterior, I looked up to feel that presence in how she became a leader of her own Order. I'd dare say this was what it felt to have an inspiring figure who knew what to say yet managed to keep it to oneself to know what they had to do. In a way this felt familiar in a sense to someone I cherished as my sister and mother figure in one motion.

" _Jane. I'll never forget you, I just hope you can forgive me. I promise you to do what you always said, move my ass like I got a purpose."_

Except she always said the most swear words to get my ass moving. Well it made my smile grow ever more happier. A lot happier because I had to realize I had to control my grief, I had to deal with the pain and quite frankly, I needed to move on somehow. Sometimes it took a bit of courage to understand that whatever had happened, I needed to be strong for those times in my past. Strength could be found in many places as long as I did one thing.

Always would I have to think of the good memories.

The pilot's voice came over the internal area once I looked over to the port holes. Blue skies and a beautiful horizon entered my gaze. I hard paid attention to the greeting and standard welcoming of the transporter itself. Somehow the pilot's tone was more pleasant then I'd peg it for initially. " _ETA till drop, thirty seconds. Welcome to Mastora, may the Emperor watch over you all."_

Soon enough the ship itself started to settle out, I felt it descend when gravity took over. All of the Adeptas Sororitas put their helmets on, those that had them or others prepared to load their bolter weaponry. While they weren't going to actively fire at any people, I knew they'd keep them ready and I'd do what I could to search for any signs of the Warp-Gate. Tartarus had her bases covered, so I'd say we were in good hands to see the temple without a problem. I just hoped nothing bad happened and to be fair, I prayed to the Emperor one last time.

Instead of myself praying for his favor, I prayed for the safety of my friends.

I got up adjusting my cloak and placed the hood over my head to keep my face partially hidden. Flexing my fingers I felt my heart beat so strongly it hurt to breathe, I had to steady myself against the hull of the ship. Engined decelerated as the descent to the ground made my knees tremble, I stood upright and got myself prepared to face the doorway. Rolling both shoulders I kept my nervousness hidden for now, I had to remain calm and face what got me scared. If I could do that now then if something bad did happen, I'd have the mentality to at least face it without faltering for sure.

Finally the ship stopped moving when a slightly beeping came from the door itself.

I took one last breathe to prepare myself.

And the doors slid open to reveal a bright sun shining into the hold.

* * *

The planet's conditions were quite comfortable to walk around in when we had stepped off the transporter at the spaceport. I had been more accustomed to thick layers of smog and days in when rain stung the bare skin. Pollution or whatever marred the hive city that I lived in, so to see greenery and a clear blue sky over my head was more amazing then anything. Plus the weather was a brisk yet comfortable level when I stood behind the small contingent of the Sisters of Battle who walked in public view in their armor. Not to mention fully loaded weaponry and what not, I had to take a shot in the dark to be able to know how deadly they were to anyone without armor.

They traveled with their Orders banner being held by one of their own who was in the middle of a Noivicate.

I kept my hood low over my cloak while keeping up with the vertical formation, I knew they were deliberately slow for my sake. As much as I wanted to stay with them a quick pace, I'd say it'd be impossible all due to their power armor. They enhanced their physical bodies from what I gathered and in when I studied some information pertaining to the subject from Skit's data slates. The bright red stood out with their Order's rose like banner held high over them, plus the white helmets stood out between their shoulder plates when those lifeless green eye-sockets occasionally lit up and the muffled thuds of how heavy said metallic armors were felt. I stayed directly off to the side of them while looking around at the locals who I felt a strange vibe off them.

Many people were healthier yet not as lively when compared to the hive city that I had lived within.

" _I'm not seeing anything that Tatartus says is the taint of Chaos. No black outlines, or anything less then human. All I see is a white, or maybe the occasional purple to say they're nervous but nothing completely weird."_ Before we had deployed to the planet's surface, I had asked my teacher whether I should be trying to use any sort of advantage as a psyker. I had unintentionally been trying to identify emotional outlines of people, I knew from the Glowing Sabre that white if not yellowish outlines were intents of positivity. It just felt strange to see these at times and I didn't understand why, plus not to mention it killed time when I walked around. I mean I did want to eat grox burgers during my times in the main quadrant where I saw hundreds of passengers.

The Inquisitor had only told me to watch out of black outlines and ignore the rest until she'd prepare a study for a later date.

"What am I even looking for?" I whispered to myself while standing near one of the armored Sisters who started to chant the light of the Emperor. My ears occasionally caught the wording but I mainly started trying to see the details of this city, I mean by the Holy Throne, they had trees within the city limits and it was pretty amazing to see such coloration. The main road that were walking on clearly had been paved and well maintained in where it led to the central heart of this capital, I had to take a second to gauge what this place meant. Ignoring all else I walked past a statue of what I assumed to be the Patron Saint of the Shrine and Temple of this world.

For every hundred or so yards, I noticed this pattern,

Two statues of Adeptas Sororitas stood facing together so we passed in between them.

I noted they had bolters held high and a chain sword of sorts prepared to fight the enemies of mankind. The metallic or sometimes more common stone showed an incredible detail with slabs of text to indicate who, or what such a monument meant. This pattern of faith and dedication lead up onto a plateau of sorts where a massive structure looked down upon the city itself. The terrain had to jet up to a kilometer slope that this main avenue would lead us to the base off and at the very top of the said temple like structure. A massive statue of the Emperor had been constructed to overlook this entire world, I could feel the awe at just how quickly this world would have been built up. In just one century they made a very good attempt at beauty if I compared it to other more developed Shrine-Worlds that I read in my studies.

The buildings were not like spires akin to my home yet they were large enough to be evenly spaced out to walk between to other parts of the city. When we passed by several alleyways, I caught movement in the shadows of them tailing us. Concentrating I imagined reaching past the route I had been taking, a warmth entered my veins and I exhaled deeply. Like a ping of sorts, I got a read on what my eyes couldn't see beyond their normalcy. " _I can sense people watching us. It's weird, I feel cold yet unworried. Plus I don't see any black outlines on them."_ No spine tingling sensations hit me when I got an overview of curiosity, I could picture it. Nothing stood out to make me jumpy, or paranoid to watch out for dangers.

Well, at least so far.

" _Just a dark purple and I think I can see if this world has any gangsters like myself. Makes sense that there would be an underground for gangs and what not, it feels familiar in a way."_ Biting my lips I managed to retract this growing reach with a shaky breath. It felt awkward to try to multitask my body to follow its initial direction without losing myself to this psychic reach, I didn't know anything except for what I imagined to attempt and it bothered me. Being a psyker didn't seem to be this easy, I felt an unease creep into the back of my skull when I looked over my shoulder.

Someone out there was watching me specifically.

Throne of Terra, I had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up!

And I always had a gut instinct to know when I'd get jumped.

When I crossed yet another alleyway, I froze in mid step when something sinisterly amusing crossed into my senses. My breath caught midway into my throat as a tingling sensation ran up from my knee to my arms within seconds, " _What in the name of the Emperor is this feeling? It's not malice, or anger but almost like happiness? No it's something more primal then that."_ I didn't fully understand how something so genuine felt so utterly off. I shuddered when this feeling washed over me, I wanted to ignore it but for the sake of my purpose here. I kept it within a familiarity of something not making me feel well, I knew something was up. I just didn't understand why.

" _Yet it's wrong, so wrong and it's..."_

My stomach curled when I realized I'd been lagging behind the Adeptas Sororitas, I hastily caught up to them while ignoring that sensation. There would be another time for me to investigate but right now, I had to be situated within a suitable quarters with the rest of them. We'd be here for a week at the most if things went well, or bad pending on what Tartarus wanted us to do. So far that was the only thing that stood out to get nervous, I hadn't even got anything close to that weird feeling creeping around the back of my head. I shook my skull to ignore that prickling urge to scratch the back of my head, I inwardly started to pray to the Emperor to keep my wits sharpened during this mission of mine.

So keeping my thoughts to myself, I just followed the contingent of Sisters silently.

We made our way up the road and towards the base of this plateau that jutted out into the skies themselves.

Looking up at the base of the massive natural formation of rock and earth, I witness golden gates leading to the sanctuary of the temple's own grounds. A few guards who were men stood at attention, they had the uniforms of a localized PDF regiment of sorts. Green coloration's mixed with a darkened gray were the standard layout of their uniform markings. Each held a lasgun with a bayonet attached to the underside of the weaponry. When Sister Theresa stood to address them, they lowered their heads in a praying gesture to the Adeptas Sororita for merely speaking to them.

I found that to be odd.

"We are Sisters of Battle from the Order of the Blood Rose, we're here for our pilgrimage for all Shrine-Worlds within this sector." Theresa stated with a no nonsense tone as one of the guards raised his head, "We had been informed from the Governor about a contingent of Sisters arriving here as our very first pilgrims. May be we please verify you're truly a Sister of the Blood Rose? We don't want an imposter to get by the gates to the Holy sanctum of our Saint who we're dedicating this temple to my lady."

And again this was odd for me to accept at first.

Weren't the power armor and the loaded bolters reason enough?

"Very well. It is reasonable for those in the Emperor's light to know that even trusting the word of a stranger is not wise." The woman pulled off her helm to have her face and hair shine in the bright light of the sun at our backs. Neither of two said a word except taking in the tattoo on her cheek while glancing at one another briefly. In the end they nodded to her respectfully before unlocking the gate for the contingent, I didn't like how their eyes fell upon the sister's with a curious gaze. It reminded me of a time that I wished to forget really.

Frowning intently I allowed my mind to wash over them to see a bright yet dimming pink flicker right across my vision. " _Happiness? No, it's not that but desire? I've never felt something like that before at all, I'd say it's happiness but with an interest? This is getting to be a little weird for me here."_ Now when we passed them they turned their eyes on my small frame and I felt an uneasy sense of protectiveness. Jane once said to me that elder boys and creepy old men loved to think with their 'second' head which at the time I didn't understand what it meant. I got the gist of it on my last birthday, so to be honest I kind of knew and hadn't ever bothered to say I agreed.

Until this very moment to which I'd be witnessing.

"Thank you for our request Sister, we meant no disrespect. In this day and age the enemies of the Emperor are numerous, I wish you well on your time here and hope you enjoy Mastora." One of the PDF soldiers stated with a smile that looked a bit too eager for my tastes. Theresa nodded to him once before placing her helm back on to conceal her features once again. I looked to the right to see the other guard on a vox communicator within a small gate house for the entrance, he waved us on through once the golden metallic bars swung inward. I just felt like I had invited into a place that certainly wanted more then what was required, I literally had no reasons to say why but my gut telling me otherwise.

Our group past on through without any incident.

Yet I caught the two of them staring at the power armored Sisters of Battle and again I witnessed that pink outline grow.

The journey to the temple, or monastery for whatever the term could be used for such a place. It went relatively unmolested in the since of no one bothering the group, I witnessed more statues aligning themselves on fierce poses along the garden like road to the top of this plateau. Trees and flora arranged in neat yet beautiful columns to show off the planet's natural beauty with the zealous faith to the God-Emperor in conjunction. I never saw trees, or bushes covered in reddish flower like creations to make my heart beat ever so contently. The smells alone made it so serene yet very home welcoming that I nearly stumbled in my steps to keep up with the contingent of the Sorortias.

In the shade of one such statue I paused in my steps when I felt uneasy once more.

" _It's that same presence from down in the city, I know something is watching us. Throne, just where and what am I looking for now? Marcos you're getting paranoid over something that isn't in front of you!"_ I wanted so desperately to tell the people I was traveling with yet what did it matter? That I felt uneasy on a new world, in a new environment and a whole new life altogether? Tartarus said to be on the look out for black outlines in people and the most darkest shade of that would be a dark pinkish coloration from the guards, so nothing could justify my paranoia. I had to be losing it ever so slightly because of my Inquisitorial mentor's own mission to seal a potential Warp-Rift on this planet.

Shaking my head I hurried to keep up with the contingent who kept on their chanting, I witnessed several people in the gardens eying the armored personnel. A lot blue outlines were showing up in my vision as it signified expectations. Interest in other words, I got that impression because went I ate grox burgers down with the rest of the population of the Glowing Sabre. So I always had people look at me in wonder. I quickly placed those thoughts aside to see the contingent finally stop before the very doorways leading into the temple itself. Two large statues were on either side of the doorway with what I assumed to be Sisters of Battle, or their Saints that were lowering their heads in a praying gesture.

The reason why they were submitting in their postures of stone and metal, I only had to look above. The planets sun had been blocked out when I strained my neck to look completely up. In the enhanced light of this natural day, I witnessed something to make my eyes go wide. I had never seen a monument so large and very empowering to make me feel small in my own senses. I guess the statue itself had to be over a kilometer in height at the very least.

A statue of the Emperor looked down upon us to engulf all in his shadow alone.

"It is a blessing and a sign of our faith to see such Sisters of Battle grace our presence." I heard an elder yet very grateful female voice speak out. I turned my attention ahead of me to see Theresa conversing with what I assumed to be the temple's caretaker, or one of the people running the structure. I could make out strands of blond hair with a face that would make most people stare at and a pair of greenish eyes greeted the head of the Sororitas with a smile. I heard the reply in kind, "And it is a sight to see a building of Faith stand strong in the light of the Emperor's divinity."

The two fell into a brief conversation that I ignored for the time being.

In the mean time I looked around to see various workers or groundskeepers staring at small group of armored women. My eyes narrowed when a few grinned at what they saw, " _Are these people that stunned to see Adeptas Sororitas in full armor? I mean I had a similar reaction to meeting Sister Anora but this doesn't feel right. Maybe Tartarus is right, I think there's something really off about this city or else I'm losing it already."_ Both of my fists were clenched at how blatant some of those people were staring, I kept my hood low to cover the glare that settled on my face alone. I swear I wanted to tell them off yet I managed to remain composed, I had too because of the lessons both Sister Anora and Tartarus had leveled onto me regardless of the source material.

"Oh my goodness! I didn't know one of you was with child. Is he one of your own?"

I nearly jumped when someone came right up to inspect me behind my back. Settling my raging heart I looked up to see the main caretaker of this temple, her blond strands of hair glowing like gold in the sun and I shuddered at how interested her gaze had locked onto my form. I kept my cloak and hood to conceal my face despite Theresa replying to the question through her helmet. I managed to glance over at Anora in her own armor as she tilted her head at the question in itself, I wondered why.

"No. He's a scribe whose been assigned apart of our contingent. His mother was most adamant on having her son see more of the Imperium while she is off on official business." The caretaker gasped out in shock, her hands clasped over her mouth. I felt a tingle up my spine at how eager she sounded and it was like her birthday came early. Throne of Terra, I winced at what came next. "Emperor preserve us! So young yet his mother is willing to send him off on his own? Is there anyone whose caring for him amongst you?"

I immediately retorted a bit happy to play the cover all too readily. An irony not lost on my relieved mind to know I was against it when it had been told, "I'm sorry mam. Mother would be very _displeased_ if I wandered away from Sister Theresa, or Sister Anora while under their care. She'd have a few words to say to you and I doubt the Emperor himself would protect you from her wrath. Her word is like the law to me."

That had to be the most fowl and disgusting piece of lying I had ever pulled off.

Using Tartarus's alias as my own mother as I shuddered inwardly at how unnatural that sounded, but it still did myself justice to be grateful. The caretaker cooed out sweetly at my inward shiver, "Such a good little one you are then but I must insist you have your own assigned quarter. The temple has many to offer along with your friends who I'll be all the more eager to provide! After all your group are the first off world visitors and pilgrims we've had since its conception, so please, I insist and I promise you'll be well taken care of." Her smile may have seemed very open and honest to most people, I'd peg it to be good.

However I felt another subtle vibe emitting off this woman, something a bit more then just open honesty. I'd be a corpse who'd get a shank in the ribs if I wasn't that suspicious of anyone, I mean I gave Sisters Theresa and Anora the benefit of the doubt because of Tartarus's orders alone. Yet this woman's kindness didn't seem to settle well with me at all. Oh Emperor's blood, I knew I had that tugging sensation in my stomach told me to avoid the offer altogether if could at all. Unfortunately that decision came in the form of Theresa who dismissively took the offer because it'd solve any problems on their end to provide for me, I just didn't like where the source was at currently.

And to be fair, I'd rather sleep on the floor in either of the Sister's rooms.

"Give him a room next to our own if you please, if not, have him stay in one of our own. I trust in him to not act like a leeching fool akin to those guarding this holy temple of the Emperor." The disapproval was evident in the senior Battle-Sister's tone even through her helm. I inwardly hissed at how relieved and happy this blond woman seemed to be at the mention of providing a room. Taking a chance to get away as far as I could, I shuffled through the formation of armored sisters to stand on the opposite side of Anora who looked down at my anxious face. Her metal gauntlet that wasn't holding her own bolter came to settle on my shoulder, I looked up at her and gripped the armor like a life line.

I had to convey _something_ to my friends here about what was going on!

I couldn't prove anything was wrong and maybe I was scared of a new place.

But I'd rather be with someone I knew then remain alone with total strangers.

"It shall be done Sister Theresa. I'm relieved that you take the concern of others and shield them with the Emperor's graces to house them in his place of worship. I have a soft spot for children, I apologize in advance if I seem a little over eager. They do warm my soul so dearly." The caretaker stated with a warming smile, I shivered at that facial feature twist ever so slightly. Her eyes locked onto my frame as I gripped the knife hidden under my cloak, I prayed to the God-Emperor for a shred of mercy to have that person ignore my stay in his place of holiness.

She gestured for all of us to follow her into the main cathedral, I didn't even dare to move when that woman was in sight now. One by one the Sisters moved in formation within the temple without as so much glancing around them. I stayed within a meter of Anora and made sure to watch over my shoulder as various feelings of uneasiness kept creeping back into my skull. She kept a single armored gauntlet lightly gripping my own limb while the other on her bolter which was at waist level. Feck I didn't need to be a psyker to know she was worried about how I've reacted ever since landing on this planet.

" _Everything feels so peaceful yet why does it seem too..."_

Perfect?

One word that could have meant a lot of things didn't ring true to the Imperial Faith.

We entered a massive interior cathedral dedicated to the Emperor. Candles were lit as pictures, ornaments and even statues dedicated to the Saint of this temple were abundant. The seals of purity and cleansing were aligned on the surfaces of the floor and into the ceiling itself. Occasionally a few people were praying or murmuring chants akin to the Emperor of Mankind, I tried to ignore the chills running down my back. A place of supposed serenity and of an actual dedication to the Imperium was supposed to make any soul seek a solace within it's confines.

Yet I felt no peace within these walls.

"Your quarters will be within the inner sanctum. We have a running bathing area dedicated to cleansing your bodies and bathing yourselves, you may store your armors or weaponry in an armory meant for such pilgrimages. We may not have an official Adeptus Machinacus Priests amongst us yet we shall look after them well." The blond caretaker explained kindly while gesturing to the rather luxurious rooms that were aligned down a hall where a tall glass archaic window stood over us. I could see a picture of what I assumed to be a Sister of Battle holding a chain sword of some kind and have a bolt pistol in her hand.

"We do not require such excessive quarters. The Sisterhood remains humble and pure to not divulge ourselves we are who spread the Emperor's light." Theresa said with a tone of absolute truth that I found comforting as the caretaker lowered her head, "Unfortunately these are what the guest rooms are to be made Sister Theresa. I did not design the cathedral, I merely run its functions and hope you can forgive me for my ignorance of your Order's preferences." The plea was met with an exhale of irritation since it truly wasn't a sin to live as a guest in such a manner. It was just the sisterhood preferred to remain humble yet practical when they dedicated their lives of the Emperor and his Faith to spread to all within the Imperium.

I knew that right out of the text when I studied about the Orders within the first day, or two.

Absently I noticed around to see that not a soul was within these rooms.

I barely caught the words of the caretaker who lowered her head once again, "Now if you'd excuse me. I must attend to a small mass gathering within the hour. I suggest you get yourselves situated and comfortable. Evening hours will soon be upon us and I do hope you rest easy knowing your the first of soon to be hopeful pilgrims journeying to this temple on Mastora." She passed by the armored women who were looking rather uneasy in staying such over glorified rooms. I could tell by them shaking their heads or what not when they caught the details within the interiors.

Unfortunately I happened to be staring at a room when the blond caretaker brushed behind me...

And I felt a hand trail along my back in a sensual manner!

Immediately I turned around snarling angrily at my personal space being invaded in such a way. The caretaker had her hands within the bosom that was her chest, a smile perfectly in place and the swishing strands of blond hair had brushed the tips of my face. " _Oh feck no! That's a load of grox shit, no fecking way will I ever allow you to do that to me again you blond bitch! So feck yourself with a rusted spiked club!"_ I really wanted to bite out those words so much that it caused me to glare angrily at the woman who left out of sight. I shuddered disgusted when I overheard Sister Theresa assigning rooms a bit grudgingly.

I didn't care where what room I got because I knew what I was doing tonight.

I wouldn't be sleeping.

And I'd damn my soul otherwise.

Just to find out what in the Emperor's name was wrong with this place.

 **End Chapter Four**

 **Author's Note:** Leave a Review, since I am desperately asking for them. So for the love of god, it's all I want from you readers.

I don't need to really explain this entire chapter. I do enjoy the effort I put into certain portions of dialogue to show that the Sisters of Battle not always so 'Itchy finger Bolter first, then maybe convert later' so I mean I dropped the hints and set the scene for what's going to go down. Trust me, I know a few of you are _eager_ and _impatient_ to see the blood for the blood god to spill. Please relax, I like to take the time so when events do go down, you kind of see the importance and this build up in what Marcos is going to do.

Now I will address a potential question, " _If Marcos is a Psyker then why is he acting like a nervous wreck when he knows something is wrong."_

That's the point, he knows something is off but can he prove it? No, he can't at all. So any notion of him saying something is wrong, the Sisters will consider it but if they don't sense anything. They'll comfort him but more or less continue, Anora might heed a warning but again without solid proof or training to give Marcos a credibility, it's really damned useless.

He's a young kid whose had about a week to really _see_ people's outlines/auras as a basic start to however becomes a psyker.

Plus the only piece of information related to said Chaos taint, is a black outline from the Inquisitor herself.

And was there anything in this chapter to say, well, anything matching said information?

So he's very inexperienced and literally, I do mean this, hes' literally untrained to do anything related to what makes Sorcery so damned lethal. I've read scripts and stories in Eldar/Human Psykers pull Electric Storms out of their asses to wipe out _thousands upon thousands_ of enemy troops! But then again it's all with training, experience and a teacher to guide the extent of any potential wielder. So again without training, or guidance to become a competent Psyker, Marcos is just going on gut feelings. To be quite frank here as it stands, really he's flying blind with a slight warning, or heads up in any case for whatever its right to him.

So to detect anything related to Chaos as a whole as he is right now?

It'd be like you walking into a new place/location where a murderer has been killing victims and you can only suspect whose is what. My point is _your_ instincts vary, person to person, so it's hard to gauge and Psykers as a whole within the Warhammer 40K lore are _inconsistent_ to what they're meant to be portrayed as pending on the author of a novel. So I'm stuck in a conundrum when it comes down to Psykers and how they develop! Especially children who are capable of killing given the proper training of course.

I just wanted to explain why on that little inconsistency that someone will call me out on.

And I have nothing else I wish to explain.

Yet I do have a question for everyone: " _What do_ _ **you**_ _think is going to happen?"_

So until next chapter, I hope you leave a review and I'd mind if people spread the word about this story please.


	6. Chapter V

**The Inquisitor**

 **Chapter Five**

I waited until night had fallen to begin my movement outside of the temple, I didn't have to be the most stealthy to really get out of my room. Due to the rooms being level to the ground and not being several stories in the air, I just had to jump out of my window's view into the lush gardens on its interior grounds. Honestly the hardest part would be explaining to anyone why I wasn't in my room so I had conjure an excuse for such a possible outcome. During the daylight hours when I remained resting inside my room, I thought of a few excuses and mainly I knew I could pull them off given the chance I didn't freak out per say.

Headaches racked my skull during a few times and I had to rest as a result.

Although before I closed my eyes, I locked my door immediately and kept a hand on my knife that was closest to be reached. I didn't like that expression on the blond caretakers face and the way her hands trailed down my back, I shivered as nightmares were starting to form at that sin alone. I had my doubts but no Holy subject of the Emperor should have been that _familiar_ with children of any age. Throne of Terra I shuddered yet again when that phantom sensation lingered. Despite being confined to the room for a few hours, I tried to do what I had attempted back on the Glowing Sabre to at least try to understand _how_ psyker abilities even came around at my will.

" _Easier said then done."_

I had no luck in doing anything except trying to sense others that I knew where close. The Adeptas Sororitas were the only people I could feel immediately when thoughts and feelings of comfort grew in my chest, I developed a certain protectiveness to withstand against the pain my mind consistently got battered by in the forms of migraines over the course of the hours. It took a great deal of calming myself down to just douse my head with cold water to ignore it mainly, I kept thinking about a steel wall or something along those lines to negate the effects out of a desperation. Yet to my utter shock when I thought of such defenses inside my mind.

The walls worked to block out the migraines!

But not completely...

Somehow I had _softened_ the pains to where it didn't bother me as much.

"Alright! C'mon Marcos, it's just like running with the hive gangs. Keep your mouth shut, listen for anyone tailing you and look around quietly. You can do this." I whispered to myself with an unsteady grin because it brought back some scary times. Well at that point in my life I had been fearful of being jumped by another rival gang, or getting a shank into my back when running with the others. Even Jane had to kick my ass to get me jump-started to be on the look out, it worked despite my grievances and a small smile came to rest on my face.

Taking a breath I jumped down from the window to land on the soft grass, I looked around while adjusting my cloak to keep my face concealed under cloudy skies. The air itself cooled to the point where I shivered from the very weather alone and was a first! A first in other words since the under city of my hive word mainly was humid and warm always. Keeping my cloak over my small form, I looked back into the room with the golden lighting and candles illuminating my face in a subtle warm of comfort. A small pang of pain hit me inside my chest, I didn't want to leave Sister Anora or Theresa alone in this place that rightfully didn't seem right at all.

" _Blessed thee for the Emperor will shield all those under his gaze, for we have Faith in him to watch over us and we in turn shall never turn from his light. Be safe Sisters, be safe and may the Emperor smile upon you to remain protected."_ I chanted a prayer before heading off into the night. I kept low next to the various flora and what not to keep myself in cover. Running lightly I completely bypassed the main road to avoid anyone at all costs, I just wanted to get away from this place and hopefully explore the city itself.

Apart of me knew this was a bad idea yet I wanted to find out what in the Emperor's name had gotten me so wired up. I had to find out and I'd be damning my soul to the warp to say I didn't try to search for dangers that would effect my friends. I'd place my own life at risk before they themselves, I had to atone for what I considered my penance in acting like a coward! As much as I tried, I still saw Jane's face twisting in an untold agony at the hands of that creature. I snarled unconsciously when my body heated up, so no matter how hard it seemed. I would destroy, banish or subjugate any daemon that dared to what had been experienced my own eyes.

I'd do it to atone!

So no force in the universe could state I'd be wrong otherwise!

I vowed that on my own terms as well.

Righteous fury erupted inside my chest when I wheezed out air that hissed due to the coldness of the world that provided its natural pattern. I felt hotter, I could feel my blood boil with a desire and an urge to destroy them as much as it pained my mind to accept that thirst for vengeance. Why did it hurt to be honest and truthful, I'd say that would be the sin of a person who couldn't accept his own faults and to be fair was I any different? I smiled bitterly when that recent prayer was more along the lines of me asking the God-Emperor to watch over actual devotees to the Imperial Faith, I couldn't have been since being able to think coherently.

Slipping past several statues along the road, I peaked around them to see not a soul on the temple grounds which was kind of odd. If there was a mass wouldn't people be leaving to go home? I didn't fully understand what a mass did within the Emperor's own holy places of worship, a chapel and a temple were two completely different things altogether. Frowning intently as the headaches started to go away, I continued on my journey down the main path leading back into the capital cities depths. I had to have faith that the Sisters knew how to defend themselves, I mean for Emperor's sake, they all had loaded bolters to really make my verbal prayers less practical.

Slipping past a grove of trees that bordered the gates surrounding the entrance to the plateau itself, I felt a bad vibe of sorts coming from the guard house. Wary I managed to keep my body level to the ground to sneak up to the small structure to hear murmuring inside. Slowly sliding up to the wall, I closed my eyes to concentrate on the words being spoken and let I heard more then enough within my mind alone. It was like the time on the Glowing Sabre when I awakened to all of those voices crushing my ability to think sanely. Breathing in intervals of five and exhaling at the same time, I heard clearly in what the two guards inside were saying as if I were standing right next to them in the very room.

"Never thought I'd see the day we get actual Sisters of Battle to visit this shrine. Fair and virtuous Maidens of the Emperor indeed, you see that one's face?" I heard them giggle with excitement as I tilted my head trying to read them through the solid concrete and metal structure. I had to maintain a consistent effort but other then that, I slowly started to feel more emotions that the pair was emitting much to my growing wariness of this place. I heard a just as eager reply from the companion who had an aura of glee surrounding his body alone.

It made me shudder at how potent such an emotion had been natural.

"Yeah I almost got my holy sword ready for battle, if ya know what I mean, I'd say this is a sign for things to be looking up. You think it's going to come through?" The interested question was said as I had a look of confusion on my features. Apart from the crude humor, I used it on occasion when not in the presence of the Sisters, I knew why the desire seemed common amongst people. They were beautiful for sure and I could admit that with a slight envy to know it reminded me of my dead friend. Shaking my head in resignation I managed to listen in for a bit longer, I didn't get anything bad or totally anything out of the ordinary here.

"Perhaps. We'll be given a sign, or maybe a message will be told. Point is man, we'll be here until whenever things kick off. So whose replacing us in the next hour..."

At this pointed I tuned out of that persons thoughts for in favor getting past the structure. It wasn't hard when I scaled the archaic building to literally climb over the gates which were too high up. Nimbly I had to slide down carefully to avoid burning my hands though. Exhaling relief I started on my exploration and search for whatever that had gotten me uneasy since arriving earlier in the day. I turned around to face the openness of this vast city yet a detail really stuck out to me immediately, I mean it literally was right in front of me.

The streets were so unnaturally silent.

There were no signs of a daily life indicated by the locals.

" _This is creepier then the time of a rumored slasher who ran rampant in our hive block. At least people were armed with auto pistols and what not to tell anyone off, I mean this place. It's like everything is just dead."_ Twitching my lips uneasily I moved towards the alleyways in between the building, I took cover and a bit of solace within the darkened shadows. It was familiar territory for me to enjoy, I didn't see anyone's outlines hiding out in the darkness like in the earlier day hours. So I had the time to compose myself one last time to search the back routes to find that source of chills that got my attention earlier.

Every step I took I swore it echoed endlessly in my ears, I didn't understand what made me feel this guarded for whatever reason. I bypassed old dumps of garbage, pieces of construction and basically everything to show that this city was building itself up for the arrival of more people to settle. Emperor help me otherwise, I may have been paranoid after all and nothing seemed amiss in this evening of a Shrine World. Still I trusted my gut instinct to know if I had to do something! Then I'd do it on my terms and at least I'd feel better knowing I attempted to figure it out.

I came to a junction behind the main bulk of the structures to see a ladder of sorts leading to one of the rooftops. Humming in thought I swiftly got up the piece of metal and found myself walking to the edge of the said building to overlook a sight that got my eyes to go wide. I smiled yet I was in disbelief at how I missed such a feature within the city in itself! Crossing my arms over my chest I overlooked a natural wonder framed by the Imperium of Mankind to make it dedicated to the God-Emperor himself, I just felt my heart swoon at such a beautiful wonder of nature.

"Throne of Terra. This is just so awesome." I whispered completely amazed and flat out awed at how I was witnessing under this moon lit night.

A massive river had cut the city in half, I watched as the blue and white rapids fell over a cliff face to another lower sector of the capital. Mist arose from the massive drop as two Statues of Adeptus Astartes this time were stabbing their weapons into the ground to show a strong will to fight. They had their armored gauntlets which in the stone carvings over the pommel of their blades as they stood mightily over the horizon. The roar of the water alone made my ears rumble at how unreal such a force of liquid made it seem ungodly. I allowed myself to smile very happily at seeing such a majestic wonder that it was really my first time seeing such a thing in my entire life.

Maybe the unknown had some good things hidden away from my sight.

Shaking my head out of that unexpected sight, I glanced down into the alleyways to see not a soul out on this cool night. Glancing to the waterfalls once again I noticed a mist arising from the base to start spreading over the lower portion of the capital city, I guessed it had to be a natural formation of the environment itself. I sat down on the ledge with my legs hanging down while I started absently over the city's vast assortment of lights and other artificial sources to make it seem alive during this dark night. Opening my palms to see them as usual, I simply thought to myself that I never had a chance to experience a world so new yet familiar in one assumption.

"Home never had a place like this but to see so many people living next to something like that everyday is simple amazing. Come on Marcos, why are you so afraid for a gut feeling?" I whispered lightly while feeling a breeze that came off the vast yet mighty river's surface. I could taste the water in the air as much as I hadn't ever encountered a familiar sensation. I had to make a choice to continue looking or head back, I wanted to explore more and to be honest I did go by a simple saying.

It was better to be safe then sorry.

Shrugging lightly I got onto my feet to start running towards the edge of the building. Both of my legs burned with an intensity as I sprinted fully to make it over the gap between all similarly leveled buildings, I felt truly happier now. I ran so hard yet so easily that my mind seemingly became at peace when I leaped over yet another gap, " _Alright! Get to where you felt that strange presence. Start from there and work your way into the area, come on man, you can do this! Better to live safely then regret anything that you didn't try to make sure about, Jane would say the same."_

Grinning like a free little bastard, I could honestly say my heart felt relieved to know I was doing something similar to what I did before with the hive gangs. It made me happier, it made Jane happy to see me earning my cut and keep despite my young age amongst them all. I'd never forget that and I'd never allow friends like that to die on my watch ever again. I couldn't bare to see that happen to Anora, Theresa or anyone that I'd meet who truly made me feel like I had a chance to do something better in my life alone. I'd pray always to the God-Emperor to have faith in him to protect them and I would accept any danger to be a shield to atone for my cowardice regardless of what happened.

I'd live like the person I could be and I'd always try to do some good for those I cared about.

"Are you sure we can go? I heard a lot about the Fleece."

I paused to look down when I saw a pair of locals wandering below within the alleyways. From my guess there was a man and a woman of sorts. Well teenagers who were probably around the same age as Jane, yet I recognized that thrilling blood pumping excitement when I saw it. The older boy held the girl by her arm as he had a grin as I followed them from above on the rooftops. I kept my breathing in check to not make any sudden motions. Carefully I made sure I wasn't going to have myself fall down four, or five stories to get myself killed due to gravity.

"I've been there for the past two weeks, it's spine tingling and I bet no data slates can tell you otherwise. It's fecking amazing to hear the music and the pleasures alone in the Fleece are second to none! I've wanted to take you there for a few days now." I raised an eyebrow at the way the older boy was so eager to get someone to go with him. Was it like a bar perhaps? I had seen them in the under city at times and the Glowing Sabre had such places available for people to do whatever they wanted. Not to mention I reached out with my mind to feel what I'd peg to an invisible arm to latch onto the boy just to see a outline start to form about his very body.

It became a dark purplish if not reddish coloration...

And the girl's was a bright white near grayish.

"Really? Mother is going to be worried if she finds out I'm not at home. You know how she is at times." The boy's companion said worried as he laughed it off, "Oh trust me. It'll be worth the pleasures to know you did a naughty thing for your own benefit. Relax you'll be fine and be back home in a few hours, I mean feck, thousands show up easily every night." His laughter became a little more genuinely thrilled at doing something what I considered, illegal to him, so oddly enough it wasn't so much to my own understanding. Still this lead was certainly worth my time to figure out what this place, the Fleece, would be located at all.

The two quickly moved when I followed from above, I kept my senses honed on them and I felt their adrenaline sensations increase. The outlines were turning into a lighter purple yet bright red that made my mind ache from a similar sensation. I widened my eyes to know this was apart of the source that I felt earlier in the day, I couldn't lose track of these two and I sprinted over gaps to stay perpendicular to their route. Jumping over another gap between buildings I came to a point in where the two wandering local teenagers were heading to the edge of the mighty river that I had admiring. I felt my body burn with anticipation to find out what they were up to now and it certainly gave me strength to hound their steps quickly.

I came to a dead stop when a building came to face the mighty roaring river.

When I saw them climb over a concrete barrier to a sub-level access entrance, my body froze when an eagerness came over me. Cautiously I waited for them to disappear underneath the ground next to the massive structures bordering the river's edge, I wanted to get down there immediately. However another wave of excited voices caused me to look down, I saw a small group of men and women alike chanting praises of someone in the darkened night. I couldn't make them out because the groups were advancing impatiently to climb down the sub-level access point. So I guessed this Fleece place would be underneath the main bulk of the city's surface.

" _An under city like a hive world, I'm surprised this place would have one. It must be hidden, or not as commonly used for guests to consider it'd exist."_

I started to undo my back strapped to my shoulder, I wanted to be safer then sorry at this point if something went wrong. I needed Skit to be operational and fully capable to send a message to Tartarus if this Fleece place wasn't truly what I considered it. Setting the bag down, I looked inside to see the servo-skull in an idle state of power saving and consumption. Tartarus assured me that Skit would be capable to be consistently active for a week, if not months on end without any sort of advanced strained tasks programmed, so all the servo-skulls were meant to be for any usage on the fly. The vox communicator could transmit to the servo-skull on the surface while I'd be potentially underground, so it'd be easier for Skit to get a suitable position and remain out of sight altogether.

Last thing I wanted would be having Skit spotted in an open area,

So I needed him in a secure position, I activated the switch needed for him to awaken. The servo-skull's eye lit up when I stepped back, the machine floated above the bag while scanning the area briefly. His singular glowing red eye took in my cloaked form, " _Confirmed. Acolyte Eius's presence detected, logged onto previous existent directives. In what task do you require for this unit's activation?"_ His module wasn't set to the highest levels due to being apart of this mission yet I smiled a bit happily, "Nice to see you alive and well too Skit. I hope the drop down here didn't effect any internal components." The humor relieved the tension within my chest as the servo-skull floated around scanning the environment for a moment as his programming processed my concerns.

" _No anomalies or faults detected Acolyte Eius."_ I shrugged completely fine with the machine replying back to the concern even if it wasn't required. I searched the various pockets and pouches on the bag to find the small wireless vox communicator to keep in contact with the servo-skull himself. "Skit I need you to broadcast a message to Tartarus whenever I tell you too over the vox. I don't have any proof of what's up with this city but I just want to be better safe then sorry. In any case, I need you to get a suitable location high enough and out of sight from anyone, so can you do that?"

Skit merely replied in his monotone module of a voice that made me grin. I loved it when he told me the best information possible and I'd dare say this was Tartarus's best gift ever. Hands down to the God-Emperor to having the Tech-Priests of Mars itself create this technology. I listened a bit happily to the servo skull as a result, " _Acolyte Eius's orders confirmed. Vox systems test successful, maximum range for accurate translation of orders established at one point five kilometers. Proceeding to suitable location and to remain idle."_

As the servo-skull floated away I did say a brief sense of concern to the floating companion of mine. "Hey, Skit. Stay safe and be careful, please."

And I got a single reply in return.

" _Acknowledged."_

Returning my gaze to the sub-level access point below, I prepared myself for whatever awaited me in the unknown.

* * *

I maybe felt a little much at home now beneath the very bowels of the city on the surface, I had explored a tunnel system of sorts that carved the base supports of this capital. Pipes, steam and so many other familiar details caught my attention to make feel comfortable. The damp moisture in the air marred the fowl yet very robust smells of an under-city, I had to tread in ankle high water during my search of these depths. I hadn't witnessed, or encountered any single other human body down in these sub-level tunnels which struck me as odd.

Several groups of people certainly entered before my own attempt, so where did they all disappear too? I mean for the sake of all that was holy and throne have it all! Just how did people vanish beneath these systems without even leaving signs in where to go in the first place? I had to rub my forehead at how brilliant of an idea this had certainly turned out to be really. Now where did I focus my senses and attention onto now that I was officially lost in the sub-levels of this city?

I moved around a bend to come to a large open area, I looked up to see droplets of water fall from the earth like spikes hanging down. Large metallic pipes were carrying liquids from the surface into a massive line of recycling plants, I had a view of the metal grates in where rapidly rushing waters could be seen. Apart from that occasional a glowing panel or a console on the wall flickered as if the machinery were running functionally. All in all I had considered that conventionally searching would be a waste of time, or rather it'd just probably be ineffective for this situation.

"Okay. Come on Marcos, remember when you woke up on the Glowing Sabre, try to listen to the voices you can hear. Just get worked up over anything." I tried to think of a reason and it all came too suddenly when I pictured Sister Anora. Feeling my heart race when images came to float into my mind of a dangerous imagination, I clenched both fists as result. Shifting impatiently on both feet I felt my emotions getting more openly when I started to strain myself by groaning in frustration. Soon enough I had tears leaking down my eyes and plenty of reasons to not find out what was wrong in this place if I couldn't get a hint.

And soon enough, my efforts were rewarded when I felt the world seemingly contort.

I began to hear a distant...

"Music?"

Wandering towards the furthest right tunnel leading on a slanting slope, I winced when I the distant musical notes made my head hurt. Gnashing my teeth I ignored this pain to concentrate on the larger picture, I'd just bare with it and my spine tingled in a warning. I knew I had to have found wherever this place was located at now, I could see why many would be lost if not one new the way, yet I bet few of them were a psyker who could do what I could. Shivering when a cool wave of air whipped past my face, I tightened my cloak and hood around my body to warm myself up.

I continued on my descent further without any signs of other people.

" _What in the name of Terra is that?"_

However when I came to a certain point, I witnessed a half covered laddering leading upwards while in the same junction in where I saw a faint glowing pulsating light. Apart of me wanted to directly walk to wherever that light's source was at but the ladder made the height advantage tempting. I followed on through my instinct to climb up and the metal groaned under my weight despite how little weighed really compared to most. Nearly my foot slipped due to how moist the metal bars were, I had to scoff at how bad in condition this upper access level seemed compared to the rest of the other tunnels I witness already.

I guessed I'd have to climb about ten or so meters.

Grunting briefly I pulled myself over to see a really rotten out and a truly neglected access tunnel. Fallen sections metal steel were evident when they were decaying on the ground. Pieces of stone were visible that fell from the ceiling and occasionally the flickering lights shorted overall. So overall it looked like a dumb yet I could see the source of the music likely off in the distance. I felt an instinct in my gut just tell to start heading back but I ignored it fully.

" _This is a maintenance access way, I recognize the lack of actual panels pertaining to overseeing the pipe lines. So this might be a level above where those lights are at, now talk about getting the aerial view of whatever is happening down here. Alright Marcos, just take it easy and figure out what's going on for your sake."_ Making way towards the end of the tunnel, I felt the pangs of another migraine really hit the confines of my skull hard. I had to stop myself from stumbling when an overwhelming sense of happiness and wild abandonment of delight slammed into me like a botler round. I gasped out in out in shock when my gut clenched due to my lungs heaving in air, I felt both of knees tremble when the sounds got louder.

Biting the interior of my cheek, I drew blood when I continued forward and started to think about the steel walls to block everything out! I desperately shut my eyes while thinking of the silence that came to me back on the ship, I needed to relax. So focusing on a good memory, I did what I could in order to slowly appease this pain and it barely went away. Even with the walls that I conjured as a means of desperation, I couldn't hear the sounds of that music but the tempo of whatever lay ahead was still heard by my ears.

Stopping dead in my tracks, I lowered my head to forcefully bite down on my tongue to stop a scream erupting from slipping past my throat into the tunnel. My muddy encrusted boots were what greeted my efforts to stop this pain from racking my head into pieces, I started to chant a prayer of strength and resolution to the God-Emperor. " _Blessed is thou the ruler of man, blessed does he guide my spirit into the darkness of the unknown. For his light shall guide my way into this despair that beseeches the mind of his faithful."_ These were generic prayers I had to study up on during my lessons with the Sisters of Battle on-board the ship. I memorized more then a few for my own solace during the nightmares that plagued my conscious during the warp jump.

I chanted this mantra as much as I allowed.

With this I continued moving despite the pain that I inwardly continuously grew. When I came around a turn I witnessed a sight that got my heart thundering in absolute terror. Due to my mind's ability to pick up on whatever I could tell in people, I only felt a hideous wave of pleasure and abundance strike me full in the chest. I covered my mouth to prevent an expulsion of my stomach's contents to stain the murky puddle of the muddied floor within this access tunnel. "Oh feck me! Fecking shit! This is not what I wanted to see, oh throne."

An eight pointed circular star had been carved into a corpse of sorts hanging from the ceiling.

But really the corpse was more of a half decomposing skeleton, "Well great. Least that explains the smell in this place." I grimaced while shielding the said part of my face, I pressed onwards ignoring rational thoughts to leave this place. Yet I felt a pull! A really genuine pull to explore further and I had to be sure that this place was really what I thought it'd be. Glancing back at the lightly swaying corpse, I shifted uncomfortably at how the dead half rotten flesh followed my steps. I had to be completely terrified to consider that line of thought.

Water splashed lightly when I tread through it when I looked around.

And I promptly realized that the stone walls had turned into something different.

It looked like it had turned into a sphere like metal circle that sloped downwards, so I grinned. " _I'm in a large pipe? Drainage canal, or maybe a dead ventilation shaft? It looks similar to when I used to hide out with the other gangsters to escape from other competition."_ I shook at my head at my idiot self to not realize that sooner. Cracks were aligned in the metal to expose the sounds that I had been hearing for the past five or so minutes, it really echoed endlessly within this damned enclosed piece of old steel. Rust, moss and water all seemingly formed or leaked to nearly hit both of my facial cheeks.

It got really annoying to avoid sinking into old mud and moss alike.

Yet as I traveled deeper into this old enclosed steel structure, I heard a voice echoing from the sides. It sounded female yet I couldn't tell for sure. Frowning intently I kept my prayers and the wall like thoughts to block out any potential pain from the music, or sounds being played. I came to an opening to see the origin of the person speaking, or screaming in sheer earnest to make my back crawl. I knelt down to get the best vantage point in seeing what I had been hearing, "Give in nothing but your eternal pleasure! Desire perfection, for your perfection is all of desire! Embrace it, love it and most of all never say you cannot feel the pain in pleasure!"

My eyes went wide as to what I saw finally.

A massive mass of people who were literally doing extremes that made my skin crawl. I heard music being played by beautiful men and women alike, they had tattoos, piercings or what I dared to imagine. Banners of a symbol akin to the eight pointed star I witnessed. Greed and absolute lust were what I imagined to see down in this massive gathering of thousands upon thousands of people. Whole crowds of hundreds were literally smashing their bodies in gruesome yet somehow sensual acts of perversion that made my stomach churn. Screams of pain, pleasure and literal unrestrained screeching roared into the place I sat.

Women and men were literally cutting themselves while _mingling_ with each other as I nearly committed to vomit.

Groans, moans and Emperor knew what I heard from down in that massive orgy of madness. Shuddering heavily I witnessed people chained in suspended cages of spikes and metal, they were being whipped yet they screamed in a blissful agony for more pain. Around were massive banquets of food in where people were gorging themselves greedily and so full of slothful mannerisms akin to a parasites. I managed to see a massive pit of people dancing, or sway to a music that made their ears bleed out in full earnest. Unfortunately I realized some of them were having their wrists, or throats slit to have blood pool below in their movements.

"What the feck!" I turned away from those sights to ward off the sickness inside my gut.

Even as I could hear chants and praising in whatever they wanted to acknowledge those acts of heathenism and barbaric perversions. I prayed for the God-Emperor to watch over my zeal inside my heart to continue onwards, I ignored the dull roaring of the thousands below my position. Occasionally the rumbling of the crowds below made the pipe shift a little, I quivered at how much force it took to create such a feat. I managed to keep on exploring further inside the pipe and more so this underground heathenish mockery of a haven. Feck myself, I'd call this the literal blatant heresy that many of the Imperial Faith wished to find.

Disgusted I continued on both feet, I came to a junction of the pipe that split into two ways. The right path seemingly had been covered in overgrown moss and literally pieces of slim were creating a gruesome curtain blockading that route. While the left hand side which I decided to follow up into was lesser of a dirtier experience to avoid at this moment. Although the gravity of this planet made the pipe slope a bit more vertically downwards. Plus I had to consistently watch my footing on the downward descent that drew me closer to the crowds below.

The pipe leveled out into a slant that made my footing equally acceptable to move naturally.

"It's finally coming together! Months and months of bored waiting! Now to have the same old boring pickings, I consider it a dreadful waste our own perfections. I finally see the sign the mistress has given." I heard a giggling high pitched woman's voice speak up directly below me. Curious I crouched down while leaning against the wall to see a partial private quarter like section, I could see hundreds if not thousands of skulls aligned along the outer walls. Many of them had that eight pointed star embedded on the foreheads,

"Patience. Our lady is very adamant that our guests of _honor_ are tucked in and warmly ready to be accepted by our open arms. After all it's more satisfying to make the bed and claim their bodies in a glorious pleasuring conquest, right?" Another voice chimed in gleefully yet I detected a very well pronounced hunger in the tone. I waited for a moment as two purple garbed woman with braided hair walked into my gaze, they were casually looking over at someone off to the far right. I couldn't tell because of my position truthfully.

"Indulge yourselves for now my dears, but the main course is all in well being prepared." A seductive yet deeper voice whispered to them again out of sight. My spine almost curled at how _inviting_ that speaker sounded and really it scared the living crap out of me now. Carpets stained in organs were starting to be made out as I gagged silently at seeing hearts, livers and intestines all arranged in a mockery of decoration. The entire room below me seemed to be in a darkened purplish coloration, I couldn't sense what exactly those people were like due to my wall like thoughts making the sounds going silent.

I just assumed it was all bad news down there for honesty's existence.

"Of course my mistress. The convert should be arriving soon to deliver us the news in when the preparations will be set." My vision adjusted to the darkened room below to see features of a woman whose hair was so red, I'd swear it'd be the color of fresh blood itself and wearing vest like garments leaving little to conceal her breasts. I saw tattoos of sorts glowing a fierce orange and unnatural illuminate the very presence about her. A forked tongue lip between her lips which were hidden due to angle I hid myself.

"Mistress I heard that those maidens of that corpse Emperor have brought a real delectable treat." The second woman stated very eagerly as I winced at what came next. A gesture had to be made for her to be continue in a tone that froze natural promethium dead. "Apparently our guests of esteemed honor may be with child, there was a little one right next to them the _entire_ time I watched them. I almost wanted to snatch him up."

My face paled when all the blood ceased to flow when I made the connection.

They were talking about me.

I put a hand on the las-pistol on my waist line to get comfort back into my numbing body. I wished I hadn't caught the next words, "Not one of their blood my sweet little servant, but perhaps a stray orphan who seeks a _loving_ gesture from them. If you recall their _rules_ and _codes_ do not permit such acts of sexual commitment. All Sisters of that pitiful corpse of that parasitic throne are virgins and as thus prime materials needed to appease our Dark Prince." The deeper tone purred out all the more happily as the two below me tilted their heads in confusion. I got the impression the person who was speaking about the Sororitas, well they'd actually knew about their ways.

It was an odd feeling to consider them becoming heretics.

Despite the troubling picture as for sure I never knew any in the recent history to say otherwise, "Children. Always so innocent and absolutely the sweetest when it comes to awakening their emotions to pleasure. So raw, so untamed and so utterly lust defying, I can't help myself mistress. I want to claim him for my own devices, if you'd permit it." Her companion laughed or rather giggled in a creepy manner while adding to the request, "Don't hog all of that little morsel to yourself my sister. Indulgence is so much more perfected when all feel that pleasure!"

A swift rebuttal to them both were cut off rather smoothly, "Unfortunately that little boy isn't meant for such a tasty delicacy that you two have in mind. We can gather others in time yet I sense you two are curious. Oh so interested, the Great Prince issued me a vision, it was during my devoted prayers as a champion of his faith alone. I am very, very _interested_ in the boy and the convert senses such potential as well." The two looked up at the person speaking as I shivered at how cruelly the curiosity that other woman had about me. I really didn't want to know why but I had a hunch it wasn't due to me being normal.

Doors opened when a groaning sound of hinges being pushed out of the play drew all the attention off the topic.

I witnessed a person move into view and I immediately almost wanted to pull out my las-pistol. I bit my lip to see a familiar person walking a submissive yet having a very clear smile plastered on their face. The blond strands of hair along with the kind face were of the very same person that greeted us at the temple gates earlier in the day. Anger surged into my veins now, I felt that very rage at knowing my instincts had been right and now I had the proof to know something truly was wrong. " _I don't believe yet I fecking knew it! This bitch wasn't what she looked like at all."_

As I watched the person lift their head.

Oh I saw the caretaker's face in clear detail.

"Forgive my tardiness my lady. Preparations were being underway when I had to greet the maidens of that corpse this afternoon, I've set all the details according to your will and to the Pleasure of our Great Prince who has rewarded us with this opportunity." There wasn't any mistaking that desirably excitement much to the person being addressed. A seducing chuckle echoed its potency around the chamber even when my spine tingled in a warning tremor. Paranoia gnawed within my mind when I briefly looked to my left and right to make sure no one was inside the pipe with me.

"Perfect my sweet little convert. You've done well. Perfection of destruction for this world is under way and we are going to reap all the sweetest desires that shall surge forth." The speaker said all too easily as the giggling inside the chamber below me reached a tempo. I noted that the blond merely tilted her head to the side, "My lady. I have a question and a concern to be addressed about those maidens, or rather about one who travels with them."

It didn't take a genius or any psyker, to know what she meant by now.

An amused tone followed the question, "The boy?"

"Yes. I don't have proof yet I have a suspicion he's not so easily fooled by my facade to the sisters who land here. I've been told by others who were observing the group say he was _anxious_ for a better lack of a word around all the sites blessed by our Great Prince." Again the convert elaborated all too happily as a humming followed. Laughter erupted from the two already near naked women in the chamber, I guess they found something oddly amusing, I didn't dare to imagine what really. My fears were realized when this supposed leader of the heretics snapped her fingers as if coming to answer.

My back curled when I remembered that physical contact.

Feck my life, I knew for sure by now it disgusted me.

The blond looked a bit sheepish when a knowing question came out. "Did you lay a hand on him personally convert? I know you've been eager to have your way with a child as a firsthand way to viewing the rawest of desires and pain, but you may have inadvertently tipped him off. Any believer of that corpse on that throne can be wary of enlightenment." Both of the other two were smiling, or grinning as the blond caretaker nodded a bit chastised. I found the expression to be so unworldly twisted that I gagged silently at how envious she sounded in explaining such an answer.

An answer that got me sick all too commonly now.

"I couldn't resist in having a goal of my dedication to the Dark Prince within my grasp. I know I could have gotten any other children but having one along with the maidens of that corpse, it'd be a beautiful perfection of my own desires to see him brake, please forgive my over eagerness." Another series of chuckles were given out to the genuinely apology as I leaned back in my spot. Glancing down at my hands I gripped them out of reflex before placing an index finger to my ear, I activated the vox communicator to Skit on the surface.

I had all I needed and it was time for Skit to let Tartarus know _exactly_ where a cult of heretics were based at now.

"All of you leave my chambers. The Great Prince sends an emissary, I must pray to him and I shall summon you when I demand it. Now! Begone!"

I glanced down to see surprise on all of the people before they nodded at the request. As all three left the place via a doorway leading away from the angle to my position. Sighing heavily I heard my servo-skull's monotone voice inside my ear-piece, I prayed to the Emperor for such a reliving sound. The transmission wasn't bad yet I had an occasional static noise, " _Connection established. What is your status Acolyte Eius?"_

Taking a breath I glared at the opposite wall.

And I heard words underneath me, I ignored them mainly for now.

I whispered while turning away from the view point as well, "Skit. I've located the heretics, a whole base of them in the sub-levels under the capital. The Sororitas are in danger and are the prime targets for something to happen at the temple. Something about a Dark Prince, or whatever, I need you to get this to Tartarus immediately!" My nerves grew ever more frayed when I only heard a sporadic series of static and broken words from the servo-skull. It made sweat form down my face to drip onto the floor, I felt cold really quickly all of a sudden now.

All I heard became a monotone jumble of noises.

" _..c...irm...wo...ds...tor...Eius"_

"What the feck?" I said whispering in confusion, no way I didn't just believe that happened.

Clearly Skit heard me on the other end but I couldn't take heads, or tails about what he responded. Something was blocking the signal from coming in yet it could get out? What in the blasted grox or Emperor's will could make vox communications that disrupted? Feeling a growing sense of dread I hissed into the communicator, "Skit! Get Tartarus back to the Capital and get a warning to Sisters! I don't care how, just get them all a warning, please! Warn Tatartus, Sister Anora and Theresa! Confirm!"

Again a bunch of twisted words got through to me.

" _...itive...rence...firm...Eius...ion..."_

The las-pistol felt a lot more comforting then I realized now, I had my hand over it's grip pretty quickly. I turned to see down the left hand side to see that the pipe was empty, I witnessed no living thing inside along with me. I looked to the right and to the left, nothing stood out and yet the hairs on the back of my neck were standing high as the spires on my home world. With the sound of thunder clamoring inside my ears due to my heart beat, I felt like I had just walked over someones grave now. A cold dreading fear possibly made that one to be my own for some reason I didn't understand why.

Why?

Why I did feel like something was...

" _ **Such a naughty little eavesdropper you are in trying to spoil the party."**_ My heart dropped when I heard a seductively chastising voice say inside my mind!

"Where?" I whispered fearfully when my eyes darted around my frame, to see nothing but the metal interior of this pipe. So where in the living bowls of the Immaterium did such a voice originate from. I was sure, I was so sure that nothing had found out about me and yet that fear gave way to disbelief. Shock coursed through my body when I tried to stand, my knees were so numb and locked into place by an unseen force akin to a weight. I couldn't move, I couldn't even move my limbs and this invisible weight crushed my will to think straight.

I heard a cooing gesture to the next words spoken to me, _**"Don't be so scared. After all what kind of host would I be for someone in my own home? I cater to many who seek what they want."**_

Despite every sane, or rational thought process I had learned over my time. I had to shakily reply since it became so impossibly difficult to just breath, I needed time to adjust! So warily I replied back to the thing that made contact with my mind. As much as I felt chills running along inside my veins, "What do you want from me?"

" _ **Perfection."**_

All of my blood froze when that word reverberated within my heart.

That word...

"I've heard that before and it never sounds, or seems what it promises. Don't even try me to play with me you fecking piece of work." Those nightmares were very fresh in my mind, I didn't dare to relive them now in reality. I snarled angrily forcing my knees to obey my mind alone, I slowly started to get myself up and it was all in a slow motion of sorts. Weights kept forcing me to go back down yet I clenched both fists as a life line to slowly stand up finally. However moving was entirely another matter when my migraines started to return in a blaze of heat and anguish alike.

" _ **Indeed it is a grand piece of work, little one, Perfection is often attained through pleasures of those orgasmic pains to earn its right. The Dark Prince offers all who seek it, yet your desires are more aligned to destruction of those who are beyond your sight."**_ The laughter forced me to bite down on my tongue to stop screaming in agony. I kept my feet planted when I started to move one step at a time towards the way back I came in the first place. Static vox communications were ringing my inner ears like someone scratching a plate of metal, I shook my head. Sweat started to form on my forehead when it stung my eyes blurring out my vision in the process.

" _ **All the effort to find this beautiful place and you simply want to leave? Come now, no need to be hasty, you can spend an eternity seeking eternal pleasures. Perfection is merely an art, an art of various forms little one, War and Destruction are merely in demand for those in service to the Great Prince of Ecstasy."**_ I raised a finger to the wall, I let all of them drop except for my middle one. I knew for a fact I'd be damned and being swimming fires of purification after this day, but I'd be vulgar as all sin to tell this piece of fecking sorcery off.

Another step forward I took in a herculean effort to rid myself of this fowl place.

" _ **Struggle all you want little one. It pleases me to see such a raw passion, so unrefined but given time, an art of perfected destruction. You have potential, so much yet so little of you knows this to be true, I offer you a means to become perfection incarnate."**_ Those thoughts about the walls inside my head were feeling more difficult to manage now, I kept biting my tongue to ignore it. I managed to walk several steps forwards as my lungs strained to take in air, I could see outlines around at the edge of my peripherals. Like a subtly endued steam of purple and black, I resisted so hard to do anything but retort in a spiteful manner.

"Sure. I'll give you potential, the potential to ram a retched metal club down your throat to shut that hole in your face. So give me a reason to do it you mother fecker." I spat out blood when the biting of my cheeks finally reached an impasse, I had to struggle to maintain this bleak pace. " _ **Are you so eager to meet me child? Many in your place would be sending prayers of that corpse on his meager throne to spite me, so you have my attention and interest in you. So are you sure you'd 'shut this hole in my face' would you?"**_ That laughter became more bemused and less threatening as if trying to become a friendlier tone. I shuddered at how quick this intent got me to consider it, I crushed that thought within seconds of its conception. What a pain in the ass to really get out of here now, that I swore next time I'd just do something different.

I kept my mouth shut in favor concentrating on moving one foot past over the other.

The voice cooed out gently yet very truthfully much to my growing terror. It seemed like my retorts had yielded into a danger that went expectant. My heart almost ceased to beat when I crashed down onto the ground, _**"You know child I'll have to admit this much. You're the first to flat out tell me off and quite frankly, I want to see you face to face."**_ If I thought that before moving was impossible, well now every fiber of my body screamed at me as if it were on fire. My knees came curling into a fetal position when my head practically went under an assault as fists akin to pound on a metal wall thundered so viciously that I thought it was real.

When I blearily looked up I swore an image of a massive figure standing in front of me!

I couldn't tell exactly who, or what due to waves of agony assailing me.

" _ **Oh so young too. I like those eyes of yours, so full of a hidden hatred and a piercing coveting desire for knowledge to destroy. Very raw yet all you need is the proper push toward perfection, oh I could just eat you up and call it a delectable treat."**_ That laughter shifted into a harmonic giggling that made my stomach upchuck its contents over to my right side. I heaved up anything and everything as I wheezed in air to rasp out, "Feck off! Is that all you can do to me? So go on you fecker, speak in riddles and vague promises, then I'd rather piss out glass in a heart beat." That scathing remark made the voice laugh only more intrigued, or rather amused at my defiance. I kept on pulling myself back around the junction towards the entrance of the ventilation pipe.

In my haze I could see the corpse hanging and it was swaying side to side.

I swore it's eyes were bright red and all the symbols of that eight pointed star were glowing a sickly orange.

" _ **That can be arranged. Only if you so desire, I do love the pains that turn into pleasures. Struggle mightily all you want little one, raw talent and power alone is not enough to attain perfection. It is an art and like all arts in the hands of mortal kind, it takes skill to envision it's beauty at heart."**_ Tears were streaming down my face when I struggled to crawl towards the exit, I witnessed as the end of the shaft got closer, the image of this shaded figure in front of me got further away. Relief and a resurgence of hope got my limbs working at the will of a man possessed to leave this insanity. Water, mud and green moss splashed into my face when I started to pick up the pace.

"Never liked art and being perfect? No such thing, so feck off and off yourself with a sharp object blessed by the Emperor's holiness. Let's see you envision that kind of perfection! Bitch!" Elbows became sullied in grim to get my entire body a little closer to the inflamed corpse as the orange symbols were spreading along the walls. I felt the heat and the unnatural urge to exhale in relief, I had to make my way through this shaft of the madness itself. My eyes were aflame to get out of this place, I would not be denied and I would not be stall by some heretical voice whose very tendencies made my body cry out in pain.

" _ **Art comes in many forms. None more potent then the mind itself, an art so perfect that you'll scream for more to attain."**_

As I came to within feet of the hanging corpse, I felt something stop me literally and I winced when a massive pressure forced me to look up. When I stared up in a haze, I witnessed a sight that made my eyes go wide in sheer terror. Terror not in a fearful sense in what I recognized but rather what overlooked me in a manner akin to hunger! A terrible hunger so vividly sinister in what it sought and I'd be the prey of its attention. No force on any planet, nor would I cease to forget in what I saw as every movement became a thousand miles to pull myself forward.

" _ **Struggle all you want. For you shall say my name and I shall embrace you as a mother, a lover and grant you the most desirable thing you wish for the most. It may not come now, so struggle against my whispers little one, struggle all you want and I shall keep my word to claim you. But in the end it is all the same to me."**_

This shaded figure reseeded into a loving visage of a woman so beautiful that my heart threatened to explode, I felt beat so strong yet I fear for my life. Eyes akin to a gentle shade of amethyst, her skin so fair that it seemed to glow in an unnatural sense of natural beauty and lips drench in a healthy red. This thing, or whatever the flying feck crouched right in front of me smiling alluringly. I started to scream out loud as the music within this place seemed to reach a tempo on the outside of this metallic hellish contraption, I felt something leak down my ears and nose alike.

In a frenzied manner to move I cried out mentally screaming, _"Anyone! Please! Help me!"_

I witnessed red staining the murky water below my chin! As I stared up at the woman whose hair seemingly streaked down her onto her shoulders. Plus I could see a velvet vest of sorts but it was obscured when she reached out towards me. Golden strands so lively yet so fake to my gaze made me close my eyes to move another few meager feet past the hanging corpse. Why was it so fecking hard to move another two, or three feet to get past this maddening torture?

" _ **Look upon me child, look upon me and say my name. Say it and all your desires will given to you, for I shall give you everything and anything you crave. Say my name Marcos Eius, say it and I shall become whatever you desire to perfection."**_ By some unholy will my head was forced to stare up as I felt something prying my eyes open. Resistance became a mighty struggle when my eyes burned as a fire so hot forced me to open wide and a strength erupted inside my heart. I glared so fully of hatred and utterly loathing at this beautiful masquerade of an evil, I trembled so strongly that the corpse next to me started to burn away in a flash of light.

" _So you want me to say your name? Is that it, huh?_ " That scathing rage manifested when I started to get onto my feet, I got a strength so powerful and yet so utterly righteous I could feel the hold over me start to crumble. The woman's face tried in vain to tempt me yet I merely lashed out to grip the figure of this blond woman by her very neck! I glared so full of a hatred that became a familiar feeling when I destroyed that very creature that killed my best friend, I felt rage, loyalty and my _will_ to destroy this fecked up thing.

I inhaled deeply as the manifestation of whatever this thing was struggled to screech out. My ears bled at the next word as it screeched out one last sentence. The smile twisted into a demonic fury as the face shifted with horns sprouting from the forehead. My instincts were right to never dare listen to such a deception ever again, " _ **Struggle all you want boy as for one of my champions will claim you in my name soon enough!"**_

I smirked right at it and raised my middle fingers at it to deliver my response.

"BEGONE!"

One single flash shattered the beauty into millions upon millions of pieces.

That single word destroyed the image as it shattered like glass as reality returned to me when I fell onto my knees. I coughed out loud so violently blood splashed onto the water when I looked around in a haze to figure out. It felt like I had been dreaming, dreaming so vivid I remembered where I was now and my body refused to response. My legs numbly carried me forward past the hanging corpse when I fell onto my knees to pant heavily as if I had just sprinted over a kilometer without pause, or rest at all. Everything seemed to fill in normally when I groaned in pain, I couldn't feel anything below my waist for now and by the Holy Throne.

I smiled in relief to know whatever happened...

I had beaten it back for now.

And I twisted onto my back in an exhausted manner, "If that was a daemon then Throne! That wasn't normal, not by a long shot and I somehow managed to shut it out. What in the name of the Emperor am I becoming now? I can't feel my back, or anything for that matter now." I whispered tiredly when my eyes started to close, I had to to sleep. Everything hurt so much yet I couldn't resist this allure for now. My mind have been strong yet my body ached to move, I had to sleep for now and regain my strength to continue onwards back to the surface.

Yet by some act of the Emperor's will, I slowly got up.

"I got to reach Skit, I have to reach the others soon or..."

And with one step, my will alone fled my body.

Darkness greeted me...

Just when my face smashed into the steel ground with a dull thud.

 **End Chapter Five**

 **Author's Note:** Leave a Review!

Please my dear readers, is it not hard to press a button and type in what you like, or not about this story's generalized concept? I mean come on, I don't ask for a lot, I mean when its suitable sure but this is Warhammer 40K, I should be seeing a lot more popularity for its genre or else I'm severely overestimating how lively it seems.

Before anyone asks me was that _who you thought it could be_ then if you mean by Slaanesh, I'd let you make the assumptions first. I don't like spoiling anything and more so revealing why, it's just a matter of Marcos being a psyker. The whispers of Chaos are very vague in the lore, the Gods in all cultures in Warhammer 40K have a spiritual awareness beyond anything comprehensible. Apparently Gods of the Eldar/Human/Chaos all exist somehow, I mean know the Old Ones created the Eldar/Orks but how did that influence the conceptions of the Eldar pantheon of Gods?

Heck between the C'tan and their Necron slaves...

Well I'd say having a water downed version of a Chaos God influence a potential convert is not impossible. But hey it's a new take on what being a psyker could do, they see things that normal people usually would attribute to as sensations/feelings. So having a mental battle with the whispers of a Chaos God/Daemon in a cult dedicated to said god, I mean the possibilities will be there in spirit and within a literal sense.

But next chapter, I'd say you're going to witness a vivid overturning conflict that as too common in the lore for Warhammer 40K as Worlds Fall, or fight to remain within the realm of sanity.

So until next time...

Leave a review, I only ask for those and always for those little things from my readers.


	7. Chapter VI

**The Inquisitor**

 **Chapter Six**

 _Images of a battle played before my very gaze, I hardly could move and all that responded to my will had fled in a fit of fleeting departures. I felt my heart struggle to remain amongst the living when I witnessed bolter fire flash in front of my face. Sensations of heat came to sear my skin closest to the said light, I hardly flinched through out it all. I felt nothing except for my need to have tears leak down my cheeks, I just wanted to cry once again. The reason wasn't for a selfish ambition, or desire but of a sorrow in what followed the flashes of weapon discharges._

 _The banner of the Order of the Bloody Rose fell onto the ground marred in flames._

 _And my tears came down along with its fall._

" _On me Sisters! Concentrate fire on the horde! Let none of these heathenish cultists tarnish the blessed grounds of our God-Emperor. For we are Adeptus Sorortias and our faith alone will cleanse these fowl atrocities of traitors!" I heard a righteous fury of a battle cry echo into my senses, I blinked despite being in a haze to see the fierce face of Sister Theresa. The normally stern yet fair woman had a face twisted into a zealous abandon of fury that contorted any image I once had of her. Flames and embers seemingly fell from above her as she stood unflinching within the flames._

" _Supporting fire! Helena secure the left flank, for I shall take the right and center! Let loose your holy rounds onto these foul Chaotic traitors to the Imperium of Mankind! Leave none standing, leave none unspoiled and leave none alive for the God-Emperor himself to burn their ilk at his side when they are judged!" The power armored normally cleaned and pristine had been dented, the bloodied limbs or organs being splattered on it's exterior stained the once beautiful sets of holy protections. Seemingly they were standing at the head of the temple interior cathedral, the entire squad firing away at the endless waves of raving maddening inhabits of the planet._

 _Blessed Bolter casings were ejected from their respective weapons to clatter onto the ground._

 _And for every round that blew body parts asunder..._

 _It wasn't enough._

 _Every said round continued to go throw several more bodies behind the initial target. Literally wave upon wave of human heretical cultists and maddening screams were in full swing as I watched those who were my friends stand their ground. I wanted to speak out, to tell them to hold on or possibly do something except to watch them. Yet all I got for an effort was to witness a clarity beyond the makeshift barricade at the base of the Emperor's statue within the cathedrals internal structure. Blood splattered onto walls, organs were torn apart and the force of the projectiles were slowly being overwhelmed._

 _I realized this with a growing horror at how quickly the Sisters were reloading once the magazines dropped to the floor._

" _ **Are you afraid for them? Boy?"**_

 _My eyes were wide when I turned to see that same image of the woman who I shattered into pieces earlier, I could see the pieces trying to reform themselves. I felt anger so potent at this fowl sorcery as laughter echoed into my ears despite the bolter fire being in front of me. I could only watch as dozens upon dozens of cultists were flinging themselves at the power armored fielded Adeptus Sororitas who stood defiant at the praises and prayers being spewed out the fallen heathens. I noticed in a glaring rage to see that their auras which were normally darkish purple were turning into a black coloration. The very same coloration that Tartarus warned me about, I didn't understand why she warned me about black outlines on people and I found out why._

 _It was because..._

 _They no longer felt human._

 _I watched as their eyes shifted from the normal pupils of humanity in eight pointed slits of malice. "What is happening?"_

 _Tears dropped down from my eyes once more, I heard a cooing voice whisper into my ear. I flinched despite the silent nightmare that I was enduring, or was it really reality? It was that same woman's voice in that ever so alluring tone, " **Do you see my loving little ones releasing themselves into an eternal bliss of ecstasy? If you so desire, you can save your little friends, oh you can and achieve the perfection that is on hand."** I cried out when something assaulted me in a fire of painful intent, I screamed when I struggled to push back against this massive weight crushing me with despair. I couldn't fall here, I couldn't fall or listen to whatever this daemon like entity wanted out of me._

 _I refused to listen!_

 _I refused to listen to its words, so I screamed only one word._

" _BEGONE!"_

 _And the face of that fair beauty..._

 _It shattered once again!_

 _My eyes continued to watch the battle as the Sisters were starting to get overwhelmed, I witnessed Theresa screaming like a madwoman in a fit of zealous strength and desperation. She had been be set by waves daemon hosts which the black coloration were the only rational thought I held. They chanted praises and shrieked to drive her to the ground while they clawed at her. Bolter fire managed to dissuade them briefly in the form of body parts being removed. Skulls, arms and other various chunks of red meat were splattered all over the walls in a fit of a last stand._

" _Burn! Heretics! Burn!" I heard one of the Sisters scream out as her bolter attachment was a flame thrower, the orange and yellow holy fires of purification scorched scores of the attackers. Smoke choked the interior of the cathedral as it consumed the view from my vantage point, I still witnessed bolter fire being shot through the smoke itself. Flashes of light and yellow were what I could see as the various clinking of ejected bolter casings filled my senses. However I felt an ever commonly occurring chill up up my back once again._

 _I swore I'd understand what this meant regardless of the future for me from now on._

 _The entire room itself shimmered as if something were unveiling itself, I watched in an ever growing horror to see the once majestic and beautiful cathedral dedicated to the Emperor vanish. It was like a curtain had been lifted over what it concealed, I felt my stomach clench and curl as to what I witnessed as the smoke cleared. For once I felt every pore of my skin burn as to what naturally had lying in wait in those very halls, in that very place earlier in the day I walked, I sensed that bad vibe and my instincts were never wrong in that sense. I had been walking in a literal slaughter house like a brain dead grox eating to his content alone._

 _The walls were decorated in symbolic design akin to the experience I had in the ventilation shaft, I saw them all glow a sickly orange and burn the very stone they were engraved upon. That eight pointed star was so prominent yet other heretical imagery were surrounding the banners. It a circular shape stretched to a small sphere at the end, two reverse looped sharped half moon were in between the two spheres alone and the eight pointed star lay in the larger circle. I didn't understand what that symbol meant yet it frightened me, it frightened me to my core and I felt a shiver slowly entice my spine to wane in relief._

 _My heart nearly ran out of my chests, I never felt it beat so hard and it hurt to breathe normally._

 _The entire atmosphere of the interior of the temple went form a serenity into a malicious craze of screams and blissful prayers to what never fowl deity the heretics proclaimed to be into. It felt like a switch had been flipped, a primal surge in the air to cause destruction and create death on a scale I had never witnessed. No hiver gangster, no criminal and no one in my past could come close to this mounting horror that my eyes took in so clearly. The forms of those cultists swarmed forward when I heard screaming of another sort._

 _The screams of people who I cared for inside my heart._

" _Excellent! Most splendid maidens of the corpse, you just furnished our greatest and newest holy site to our god, I thank you." A familiar voice rang up from behind the smoke, I watched with a growing rage so hot and so inexplicably soul staining, I bit my tongue hard. All just for a moment to down to a scream from erupting, a roar to destroy her very existence! That same fecking caretaker arrived wearing nothing but a thin layer of clothing, symbols glowing a potent orange and the eight pointed star imprinted on her forehead. Her eyes were less then humane at all, I witnessed that aura of a darkened abyss surge into the massively open room._

 _She walked up swaying her hips past my eyes, I could see the satisfied and eager smile threatening to split past her flesh._

 _As she walked into the smoke, I watched as it parted with an unholy grace._

 _Five battered and broken Sororitas were being held from behind by figures outlined in that black aura as my eyes were blazing fireballs at this point. The caretaker sighed in completely blissful and utter pleasure in having one of the still smoldering bolters, she took it barrel first to press in between her breasts. The sizzling skin at first made her scream in agony then it turned into an orgasmic wail of beseeching willingness. I wanted so badly to kill her, to main her and to utterly burn her corpse into the very depths of warp for the Emperor to judge this heretic's soul! Both parts of my jaws were clamped so hard that I nearly broke a tooth._

 _Feck, I swore both of my canines were going to snap at the pressure alone._

" _My fellow faithful, my beautiful brothers and sisters! The Great God, our dear ever lasting Prince has granted us this victory over these corpse's maidens whose very presence shall align what is needed! For our Champion shall leads us on the crusade to bring all under our God's name alone!" The heretical fanatic cried out in sheer unwarranted joy, I felt disgust in the same sense as to what happened. Her smile was so utterly unfathomable in what she was feeling, I swore that crazy was the blissful gesture of victory on hand._

 _One of the battered Sisters of Battle was brought up to face her, the captors were gleefully salivating at at what came next as the caretaker took a fistful of the white hair. All to just force her to glare hatefully and so full of zealous faith to defy the heretical touch on her skin. So the speaker of these cultists presented this face as if it were the most joyous of occasions, "You see this! The mark of defeat is masked by this blind and utterly unanswered heathen to the corpse on that parasitic throne. She will be amongst her comrades to be in service to our great Prince and his crusade to spread this truth across every world, every star and every being will know the name of our Great God!"_

 _My eyes were burning at this point when they started to strip the armor off the sister as it was torn effortlessly by those covered in that dark aura._

 _They were chaining them up to the ceiling as barbed metallic cuffs were used to have them be lifted effortlessly, the blood dripping from their wrists were only the beginning. Chanting of a fowl yet darkened tongue filled the air to make my very skin singe as if being burned. Floods and scores of these cultists were praying while swaying their voices into a one beautiful yet sickened twisted chorus of a language I knew not what to make. A few of them were carrying a box of sorts, I could see blackened scripts binding whatever the contents were inside._

 _And soon enough, I saw a podium being erected._

 _Just as a small yet green glowing gem was placed in the center. The pulsing gem turned a darkened black from within, I swore I heard a wailing so painful that it made my ears bleed from the sounds alone. God-Emperor on the throne it felt like nails being gouged into my very muscles all over my body in one fluid motion! When I looked up through my pain gaze, I say another fowl yet horrifying sight alone to make me look on in despair. The caretaker started to forcibly carve glyphs with a knife into the sister's skin making them scream out in a terrible agony that assaulted them not just physically, but of another nature altogether._

 _I witnessed that formation of that woman return for the third time._

 _She spoke out to me as if gloating, **"No matter how hard you struggle. No matter how much you resist me boy, I shall return before you and offer the chance of perfection. No matter how much you try, I shall never be forgotten and you shall never forget me."** I saw pieces floating over the chained up Sororitas whose very bodies were being cut into for some sort of ritual. Glowing glyphs and eight pointed stars were arranging themselves behind them on the wall, it stretched from the ground to nearly an equal ten meters in a circumference. I watched as the chanting continued their praising, the crowd started to go in an unrestrained bliss of wild abandonment._

 _Men slashed at each other, women did the same and various others started to envelope over the corpses of their own fallen._

 _I felt my stomach up heave its contents._

 _Or rather..._

 _I couldn't allow such an impulse now._

 _My words seemingly echoed back to the formation of this fair beauty who merely laughed out deviously, "I swear to all that's holy! I don't understand what you are, or rather what in the feck you want with me! But no matter how impossible, or fecking difficult the Emperor ordains my purpose into my future. I shall shut that wretched fecking hole in your face and rip that bitch of yours into a million pieces, I swear it!"_

 _I got a cheeky yet very real taunting statement in return._

 _And I all felt was my soul..._

 _I truly could feel my soul burn into a righteous fury to destroy this entity._

" _ **If you feel like that, I offer you a chance then."** _

_The pieces were forming a limb as made a come hither gesture to me. I swore the smile that was cracked reformed into a near perfect taunting grin, I swore it burned me with a scorning blade to seep into my chest. I heard the last words that came from this entity as my mind howled with a rage so violently, it made the woman coo out. Her giggling made my eyes just harden to the point where I never felt such hatred, nothing came close except for that moment in when Jane was cut down in front of me._

" _ **Claim them back, if you can. So hurry up my soon to be perfected child, I shall be waiting when you embrace the passion that will uplift you into perfection!"**_

 _The caretaker started to bring the knife towards one of the sisters hanging by the chains, I saw blood drip down the length of it's blade._

 _Those few drops was all it took!_

 _As I screamed out in defiance!_

" _NO!"_

* * *

"NO!"

Jolting myself awake I got a mouthful of brackish water for my troubles, I coughed out hoarsely trying to get off the dirtied ground. Heaving lungfuls of air, I blinked groggily groaning while forcing myself to roll against the steel wall. Slowly but surely my senses came to bare the lack of anything, well I heard a literal silence inside the underground shaft. Wiping away sweat coursing down my face, I shook my head in a fit to ward off the blurred visions plaguing me in a pair of twos. Absently singular right hand became a pair of them much to my groaning.

Muttering exhausted, I pushed myself onto my feet slowly but surely.

Even though I had to ask myself an inevitable question, "Throne have it! How long have I been out?"

Clutching my ribs for a moment, I shakily got myself down the latter while baring with the internal pains racking my stomach. Nearly slipping off the said piece of metal, I inhaled deeply while idly checking the tunnels to see if no one was down here. All I got in response was a muted tremor from above to which dirt shuffled down in my brief haze and apart from that, these tunnels were unnaturally silent for some reason or another. Lights flickered occasionally as I made my way through the ankle deep waters towards the way I had originally came from. It took a lot of effort on my part to not shiver due to the coldness of this underground haven for the heretics.

It sounded like something had gone on above ground.

I swore I could distantly make out more thuds and muted tremors racking the world.

"That dream! Was it really real, or am I going mad? Emperor please, I just want to know if this is normal, please." My face twisted when I cupped my mouth as my stomach churned violently. Resisting no longer I took a knee and let my body up heave it's own contents yet again. I vomited up blood, grim and Emperor knew what else within my body itself. Falling onto a knee which it got drenched in the icy chilling waters, I had to stop myself from losing any control that I had.

" _It can't be real but what if it is? I have to find Skit!"_

The servo-skull was somewhere out there and I had to get to him, I had to believe in the Emperor to show me that despite this madness inflicting my mind. I would remain true to his light, to his protection and to the belief that my friends would fall that easy to these heretics. With a sense of a renewed vigor I stumbled back onto my feet to keep moving past the ever growing frequent tremors going on above my position. Even though I remained truthful to the god-emperor's divinity, why did I feel like I just walked over my own grave and that I was just preparing it? I felt like I just walked into someone who wasn't meant to be fecked with and yet I did so.

Just why did I feel like I was fighting an impossible enemy to overcome?

Snarling angrily I stumped past the waters while splashing them violently apart, I reached back to pull out the shotgun still strapped to my back. I had forgotten that the weapon was still with me, so with a sense of security and strength with the weapon's presence alone. I flipped the safety off to keep it trained in front of my body, I wanted to have as much time as possible to shoot down any heretic or cultist alike. Moving around a bend within the tunnel, I literally could smell a burning smell seep into the very air itself.

Yet oddly enough nothing around me indicated of such things.

" _Thank the Emperor, there's the ladder. Once I get out of here I have to contact Skit, possibly Tartarus and see if everyone else is fine. Come on Marcos, you can do it man, just easy does it."_ Slinging the weapon over my shoulder, I started to make my way back up to the surface. Every foot that ascended up the metallic support made my body tremble as the loud booms became more prominent. Panting heavily I managed to get myself up and over the railing to see the skies themselves. Although when I stopped to look up at the overhead horizon, I nearly fell to my knees in what I was witnessing now.

Across the massive river columns of smoke and fireballs were erupting on the far side of the city.

And in the distance weapons were exchanging fire like a sickening popping sound.

Rubble had surrounded this part of the city, the buildings had missing chunks out of them at times and most had a scorched look upon their walls. Concrete, steel and flesh alike were all burning to filter into the air like a plague long unleashed upon this world as a foul omen. I took off the shotgun around my shoulder area, I checked the safety to turn it off and kept the weapon on semi to start moving towards the nearest building with a usable ladder to get to higher ground. I needed a more higher position to somehow contact Skit and possibly figure out what in the Throne of Terra I'd be doing now. Shaking my head side to side, I finally located a suitable way onto a roof despite traveling a near block down the road to find it.

More weapons were discharging in the distance.

Even though I wished I'd be wrong, I knew I heard lasfire and auto-weaponry being in use much to my ever growing sense of uneasiness. Smoke billowed up into the air to the far reaches when I got onto the roof, I tapped the vox communicator inside my ears. Rather it lay imbedded and remarkably I heard the crackle of it coming to life. Muttering a quicker prayer of mercy to the god-emperor, I took a breath to start voicing out to my servo-skull familiar. "Skit do you read me? Skit are you alive out here? If so please respond, I'm kind of lost in what's happening."

The transmission went out as I stared at the burning city of the Imperium and silence was met for several long excruciating minutes...

Until I got a reply which my made my heart swoon. I grinned when I heard that monotone voice and it sounded like praises of the hymns to the Emperor to me really. I waited very happily as he responded over the vox, " _Acknowledged. Acolyte Eius confirmed survival established, proceeding to your position. Hold one moment. Establishing link under duress is not recommended in this unit's programing data slates."_ The static wasn't broken up this time around and praise the Emperor, I almost started to cry happily. My eyes scanned the building line and through the varying degrees of smoke to get a glimpse of my friend.

And I witnessed his glowing eye float over to me from roughly to my right.

"Good to see your in one piece Skit. Did you miss me?" I asked humorously to the servo-skull who merely responded in his usual tone. His singular mechanical eye scanned my face briefly before initiating a phase that got me startled. A hologram started to form directly three meters as if projecting something and it only made sense when elaborated. " _This unit is functional Acolyte. One moment, transmission incoming from recognized: Inquisitor Tartarus. Priority message, live feed, acknowledged and displaying. Established connection is commencing."_

Ignoring an urge to shift uncomfortably at being in the open. I just leveled my weapon off to my side to see a hologram image of my Inquisitorial teacher herself.

Tartarus's exterior seemed to be a bit ruffled yet her face was the same passive expression I had seen wear consistently. Her hat concealed a portion of her face when she gestured to me almost approvingly, " _Marcos. Good to see you haven't wasted your life so quickly. Otherwise I'd have to consider wasting resources to scavenge this planet for your location."_ My jaw twitched at the woman who seemingly stared at someone off the hologram, I could hear a lot of chattering in wherever see was located. Although I managed to retort almost blandly with sarcasm clearly evident, "Thanks _mother._ I love the fact you're not gushing tears in not hearing from your son! Emperor be praised about your affectionate side, so did you get my message before I..."

The hologram of my mentor cut me off immediately.

Her face contorted briefly into a frown despite the sharpness in her tone, " _Unfortunately so. There were signs of corruption here in the Governor's Palace, so sadly, I had to cleanse it. The late man is now reaping his rewards with a bolter round to his forehead currently and do not even get me started on your use of unsecured vox communications on a planet such as this Marcos."_ I rolled my eyes when I heard the chastising annoyance of something I had no experience with. So yet again I retorted blandly while shrugging my shoulders in the process, "Really? Unsecured broadcast? Who the feck tells me anything other then go here and learn that? Sound familiar to you _mother_? _"_ If I had to be scolded in a burning city as an Acolyte of the Holy Inquisition, I'd say it'd be insanity. Yet here I was arguing over a vox hologram of my teacher and I'd swear I'd so get even!

In being I'd rather stick to the cover story just to piss her off and by the Emperor I hoped it did.

" _That language and mouth of yours is getting tiring boy."_ The woman exhaled while shaking her head as I heard laughter in the background. Her pistol came into frame for a moment as it fired and the laughter went silent, her eyes were less then comforting. Especially in what her next words stated, " _Furthermore you're in the heart of this chaotic mess Marcos. I can't say you're going to be alright and see the next day."_ I felt my stomach lurch but not for my safety alone, I had another reasons to fear in being inside this city now.

I must have gave it away even over the hologram vox transmission.

As I heard my teacher speak up loudly, " _Marcos. What is ailing you now?"_

Tartarus sounded almost exasperated but almost resigned to hear my answer even if I glared at her. I managed to glare but kept my voice level despite how close it came to crack under it's own weight. "What's got me scared? How about Sister Anora and Theresa? Ever think I do care about people who are my friends Tartarus?" Feck my life, I couldn't stop thinking about those dreams I had recently. I swore I knew they were real, the details and the feelings were so vivid that what else could it be? I mean they had to be real and the mere fact that I was wasting time started to really effect me.

I needed to know now!

The Inquisitor tilted her head at my enraged look to make her reply in kind, " _No. I don't have time to care for inconsequential details. No vox communications have been picked up by the Adeptus Sororitas Macros, so assume they are killed in action and nothing less in their service to our God-Emperor."_ The way she just wrote off the Sisters of Battle made my head spin. What in the Throne of Terra did she have the right to just say they were dead! Wasn't there a plan in the works to get them out as well, or was I losing what sanity I had to care for people who were clearly important?

"And what? That's it? Aren't we going to at least get them out, or make sure that they're alive Tartarus?" I said clearly angered as the woman shrugged over the hologram, " _Not really. They're not apart of my retinue nor are they my technical responsibility Marcos. Unlike you, who I must make sure you're alive and salvageable, I can only offer my condolences if they have be given a place at our god-emperor's side."_ My eyes widened at how casually callous her tone had become now! Just what in the name of the throne had brought this on?

In fact I gestured angrily at her passive form, "Do you honestly believe the feck you are saying to me? You want to just think that Sister Anora and the others are just dead? They might be fighting for their very lives right now!" The woman merely stared at me as if gauging my eyes over the vox. Despite the vast distance, or wherever she currently was at, I felt uneasy at how penetrating this gaze was truly. Nothing came close to whatever I saw about her over my time talking, or encountering her aboard the ship.

" _Or they're as cold as ice now. In this universe you must understand something Marcos. Life itself is not given a fair chance, it in-fact makes it so that life is so easily removed. Wasting resources on a potential pile of bodies is not worth my time, nor the Inquisition's or those others in my place. If it is not remotely related to our mission, or apart as agents of the Emperor's will as of the Ordos Malleus. I do not care for them."_ Her tone brokered no sense of the word hope, I knew I should have expected something as cold as this from her. So why did my heart steel itself when my resolve to speak up came to startle even my teacher when the words slipped past my mouth.

I didn't even realize what I had said until it was too late.

"Then what if I told you the Sisters were being held potentially in where the Warp-Gate was being created? What then?"

No sooner did those words spill out, Tartarus looked up at me concerned. I gave off a grin to see her eyes widening ever so slightly despite the hologram fading due to whatever reasons. Her tone became more concerned with the sense in _how_ in name of the Emperor I'd say that. Despite how serious she became, I just smirked ever more casually at the question. " _Marcos what have you_ _ **done**_ _? If this is a jest to get back at me for our pitiful by-play then you will be in for a world of hurt when I get my hands on you. Do not toy about matters that aren't what they appear too be."_

I merely stared back at her without even flinching which was a feat in my humble opinion.

So I simply told her what happened to me, "Nothing as far as I'm aware Tartarus. But for the past day, I've been getting visions or dreams since I don't know, or really feck that, if the Emperor knows. They started last night and now today, the most recent in seeing Sister Theresa being chained up like a sick spectacle to hundreds of these fecking _bastards_." I waited for a moment to take a shaking breath to willingly remember that woman who lingered inside my head. I shuddered at how cold yet delighting those thoughts implied when my stomach churned sickly once more.

" _These nightmares, dreams or whatever that have plagued you? This has been an reoccurring theme for you and today was no different. Even while awake and conscious?"_ The Inquisitor probed to me intently as I nodded. I even explained in what I encountered recently, "When I was looking around for those black outlines you told me about. I found a place that _pulled_ me yet it truly didn't so, I felt uneasy and I got curious to find out what this place was really. Turned out to be the cultists main haven to do whatever the flying fecking throne knows, I tried to transmit a vox message to Skit but when I started too. It felt like someone..."

Now I got floored in what happened next when the woman practically screamed at me!

" _You mean to tell me! You willingly went into a heart of a heretical cult's territory as you are now? With your mind clearly unguarded and untrained because you felt a pull? Marcos! What in the name of the Emperor did you see! Answer me! Now!"_ Her transmission seemingly started to fade and flicker as if something were interrupting the connection. I swore Tartarus's eyes were blazing orbs of pure white for a moment as I replied completely honest. I've never seen her angered, concerned or flat out anxious to this extent at all.

Gripping the place in where my heart terrified in replaying these fresh nightmares.

I slowly started to explain truthfully, "I...I don't know what exactly that _thing_ or whatever the feck it is was Tartarus. She looked so beautiful, her smile was so promising for a better lack of a word yet it wasn't natural! Throne of Terra I felt my entire body go haywire! Everything inside me was screaming a warning and she kept speaking to me. Showing me images, pictures and promising _perfection?_ " My eyes averted to the side to see the destruction spreading from street to street, I could hear the screaming now and I wished I hadn't.

A soft yet steady breeze wafted the smells of the dying world into my very being now.

" _Emperor's blood! Marcos you must not listen, nor say the creature's name or else I'll have no choice but to put a bolter round into your head! I knew I should have started your training as a psyker if I knew you'd be seeing things already despite being so young."_ I tried to say anything to justify in what I had down but Tartarus's expression had turned into a murderous look of a woman deathly honest. She'd kill me without hesitation if I knew that things name which I didn't but the implications sunk close to my heart. The Inquisitor saw my expression unfortunately, " _You have no idea in what you're being exposed too. Your mind is raw, your emotions are undisciplined and you're like an open book to those like myself. Anything with a psychic link will_ _ **see**_ _into what makes you squirm, those who beyond the veil of reality and that are beyond what normal people can perceive."_

I had see her angry moments ago and now a genuine concern had etched itself onto her face. For all that was Holy, I scarcely could ever believe any person could go through this many emotions in a short amount of time. Once a stoic and passive woman who scared the living feck out of me now because a concerned mentor who realized something horrible. A horror that I had fought off, or rather the horror was merely beginning and those thoughts really got me worried. The hologram flickered a bit more rapidly this time around as I felt a wind blow across the exposed nape of my neck.

Unconsciously I turned around to see the shrine in the distance with the main road covered in corpses and what not as a river of blood ran down the terrain.

"So daemons can enter my mind and tell me what to do?" My question made the Inquisitor merely reply in a tone that set my heart to drop. " _Worse. Daemons are one thing but there are even more powerful entities whose names I dare not utter to you, or over this vox communication so any would hear it. If you say the name of the one whose whispering and showing you the images that any Seer in the Imperium foresaw, you'd fall into ruin."_ The way she said that last word, ruin, I immediately could say an obvious remark. Aside as the phantom chills were crawling up my back once again and even through the thoughts of a wall inside my mind, I cringed physically as a result.

"So fall into ruin means what? I take a bad fall like someone slipping down a flight of stairs?" I cautiously tried to reason as the woman shook her head. Her next words were what I'd call soul shattering considering the topic, " _Marcos this is not a jest, nor an idiotic attempt of humor. If you fall into ruin, your soul and what makes you have a semblance in being human is lost. Do not_ _ **ever**_ _say the name of those who are tempting you, for they will claim you body, mind and soul to be damned into the warp."_

My mouth went dry when that was said to me...

I'd lose my soul?

Using a hand to cover my face briefly, I realized how weak my knees got when they became literally nerveless. So what was the point in those visions, or dreams for that matter? That whatever was out there in the warp wanted to claim me for what? These questions were burning the center of my mind at its core, I just didn't understand what the feck was happening to me. Rubbing the underside of my jawline in order to keep calm, I replied a bit uneasily to my teacher. Her expression had grown ever more grim at my silence, "Wait a minute Tartarus! You mean to say to me that all these nightmares, dreams and what not are all fake? Just to get me to say a name of a daemon?"

The hologram of my mentor flickered a bit more violently this time around and it caused Skit to inform me why.

Here my servo skull companion clarified the distortions, " _Warning!_ _Interference detected of Vox transmission. Stand-by for adjustments. Processing calculations Acolyte Eius."_

Glancing around my position on the rooftop to see the varying levels of destruction and carnage envelop the heart of this world. I swore I could hear a faint laughter over the wind itself and that got my spine standing rigid. Leveling the shotgun towards the direction of the temple in the distance, I felt all the hairs on my arm rooting themselves upright as waves of electric tremor accelerated my blood. Something was amiss in the air of this planet, I practically could feel it and something truly felt like it was being unleashed. I dared not imagine why because not the lack of an imagination, but merely the truth of the matter that it was too late to do anything.

Skit spoke up on his progress and it's success, " _Vox connection reestablished!"_

My attention went back to my mentor whose hologram seemed a bit static like much to my growing concerns. Tartarus seemed a bit more antsy as her expression was to someone off screen again, " _Marcos you need to get out of that city now, or find somewhere to be extracted. That warp gate is active now, I can sense a major disturbance echoing in this world and the veil to the Immaterium is practically gone! Do you hear me? Get out..."_

Her voice got cut off in a peal of static as I looked around feeling the very fabric reality start to those warnings fell deaf onto my ears sadly enough to warrant my senses. Yet I narrowed my gaze to see some sort of distortion wash over the temple as various statues were crumbling. Gulping any built up saliva to stem the moisture being sucked out of my throat when a ripple formed at the base of the massive temple once dedicated to the Emperor of Mankind.

And as the ripple condensed a wave flew out!

"Oh shit..."

Two words were what I could get out in time before it hit me.

The shock wave sent me flying to the ground as I screamed out loud clutching my head when a terrible agony crushed my ability to think. Clutching my temples I dropped the weapon to ground as it went off creating a ringing sensation in my ears when fire consumed my insides. I screamed when liquid dripped out of my ears when a terrible screech wailed its doom upon this world, I had bite down tears when I struggled to remain sane. Whatever this wave, or ripple had down it made everything around glow as if it had an outline of varying degrees of red to near darkish crimson in itself.

The worst came when a familiar giggling voice echoed over the landscape, I didn't need my mind to listen to it's words now. This nightmare had started to become a true reality in which this entity started to seep into the physical world. This whispering just encircled myself and destroy any means of resistance to block it out mentally for sure now. It was coming, I knew it and whatever it was it wanted me to listen to it. So I did because I had no choice due to this reality bending sensation, " _ **Five were once amongst your wishes and desires yet now three remain. Boy, you better hurry for I shall gain while you lose this game for those you wish to claim. Or I'll just claim you, only if you desire, so the need to play hide and seek."**_

I roared out loud when I felt a pressure exert itself onto the back of my skull, I struggled to get onto my knees and hiss back into the open air. I swore the entity or whatever whispered its fowl promises into my head was laughing, or giggling at my resistance. Apparently it loved to see resistance and I'd not fail the Emperor's faith inside my heart. Biting down the pain I swore to the air, "Is this all you can do to me you fecking daemon? Spit out promises, taunts and what not? It'll be a cold day if I do what you ask, oh I swear I'll shut the hole in your face if I get the chance."

I got an amused response out of that threat alone.

" _ **Daemon? I am something beyond those of my ilk boy, so many yet I am perfection. I am the pinnacle of pleasure and desires made incarnate for all those to indulge themselves. Say my name and I shall give you what you crave the most, I offer you the universe and in return, I shall claim what is rightfully mine."**_ This being from beyond the reality that threatened to spill over into the next had said to me all the more promising. I ignored any urge to think positively out of this situation and I immediately thought about the steel walls to block out these whispers. My eyes were strained as heat flow past my orbs to slowly erode this presence away piece by piece, I managed to inhale deeply while using every fiber of my will to close it out.

And soon enough my efforts were rewarded.

The presence started to fade away once more into the recesses of my head.

Panting heavily I opened my eyes to see Tartarus screaming at me over the vox. Skit hadn't moved at during the shock-wave and I just caught words, "... _control your emotion! Do not get angry, think of anything but what is causing you pain! Marcos get up! If you sleep, or close your eyes it will find you that much quicker!"_ The will to see things straight had grown notoriously difficult to see the hologram split into three sets of the Inquisitor herself. I groaned while somehow getting onto my feet when I looked up in an absently mindless gesture.

Only to see that the heavens were bleeding red and a sickly orange compared to the blue normally meant too be.

"It's getting harder to block out these whispers Tartarus, I just heard the daemon come back and all I can do is just ignore it. It said to me that the five Sisters it caught are now down to three, I don't know if Sister Anora is alive! Fecking Emperor's blood, what the throne is wrong with me?" I whimpered out trying to contain my sanity in a fracture mess as the hologram kept flickering. Whatever blocked the vox had started to become more prominent as Tartarus's voice got thinner, " _Keep blocking its influence from your senses Marcos, it's the only defense you have right now and I'm en-route to the capital. Get as far away from the center of the Warp-Rift as you can! You're going to be seeing and hearing many things that you can't handle in your raw state. Do not go towards it, no matter what, if you go towards it then you're going..."_

What she'd say to me I never got the rest of it.

The vox transmission cut out when Skit informed of the errors occurring, " _Live transmission terminated due to interferences. Recommend extraction to secure location in the mean time Acolyte Eius."_

I wanted to say I'd agree with the following recommendation that Skit said to me. Really I honestly wanted to leave but I couldn't leave Anora, or Sister Thersea to die within this bloodied nightmare that started because of insanity being allowed to flourish. No matter how much I wanted to run, I couldn't view myself to run in the face of a daemon who'd kill my friends once again. I wanted to run yet I refused to become that coward who watched his best friend, my mother figure and sister all alike to be torn apart in front of my eyes. Instead of fleeing like Skit and Tartarus wanted me to do, I'd say I grew a mind to go to the source of this madness to end it somehow.

Retrieving my shotgun as I unzipped the bag to store a small pouch's worth inside my pockets and reloaded the shell that went off unintentionally. Gripping the stock of the weapon, I had it flush against my forehead to have it center between my eyes which closed to garner my strength. I needed to find out where the rest of the Adeptus Sororitas were at, I knew where and I knew some were still alive yet for how much longer was the question. I had do something for once and not run like a rat who clearly could have done something to save a life.

I refused to be a coward.

I refused to see Jane die again in front of my eyes...

And I'd damned well refuse to shed tears for something I could prevent!

"Skit. We're heading to the Temple, I want you to broadcast our position to Tartarus and hopefully anyone willing to come to heart of this madness to end it. I know you want me to live but I can't live with myself knowing I didn't try to save those who I care about. I'm not leaving Sister Anora, or Sister Thersea to suffer at the hands of these fecking sons of bitches. Forgive me please..." I said to the servo-skull that merely floated in front of my face. It's singular mechanical eye scanned my face as tears of a resigned happiness fleeted over my sense of self-survival.

I'd risk my life to save people who I knew that they were alive.

I felt it inside my gut.

And I felt that was this the right thing.

Skit merely said one word to me that caused me smile truly grateful.

" _Understood."_

Even he had no flesh, no blood and no organic components. It was here I could say that I truly started to understand the little known concept of a belief that stemmed into the Adeptus Mechanicus. A concept so misunderstood that I knew not what to say of it at this time. In the future I'd respect that cult of priests far more deeply then what most considered to be a trivial matter. It made me laugh in how I believed in a simple yet very truthful belief that make any loyal follower of the Mechanicus smile in approval if they had flesh.

I had started to believe in something that was there yet it wasn't.

I believed in a spirit.

Well really, I believed that Skit had a machine's spirit.

 **End Chapter Six**

 **Author's Note:** Leave a review, please I do like them a lot.

I hope some of you readers are enjoying Skit's effect on a child, I'd wager that this kind of adds a more diverse feel to a servo-skull of all things. If you noticed a few things, Skit has his own personality, I just can't directly say how, or why. It's a subtle yet direct effect in what I'd call the Adeptus Mechanicus's belief of a machine spirit, I mean I like their Cult but the fact you'd have to become a walking machine is a bit...

Well a bit demanding since I'd rather feel then be a two thirds of a cybernetic tech priest.

Plus it doesn't take a genius to really add depth into a universe as grim, or dark as Warhammer 40K. I'd like to say there's a more subtle moral authority, a choice to be made, no matter what position or place a human has within the Imperium of Mankind. Humanity has always made that leap into the unknown, we'd risk the dangers, not for glory or merely a sense of satisfaction to appease our desires. No humans have a more potency that is far more dangerous yet very powerfully motivated for as one as young as Marcos.

He'd risk the unknown and face all the dangers that are coming...

To do the right thing and save a life.

Just to save a friend, a loved one or a life he cares and no pain on the oath of death would make that child go through that again I dare say this is the faith required for such a person to make a step forward, but really it's an inspiration to a more spiritual level. I mean wouldn't anyone admit that this is a true inspiration for the Emperor to bless his will over this child. I'd like to share a certain aspect about humanity within the Warhammer 40K lore in itself, I again dare say it's skewered yet there's hope for anyone really.

Humans are fickle, oh yeah we are, heck we'd destroy more then we create for whatever reasons.

However it take a rare individual to really stand up, to show others that even amongst the many there is a few who are the rare glimpse of a future. Noble yet rational, fearful yet willing to endure any pain and that sense of doing everything the right way is never the easiest. Eldar in particular _pick up_ on those virtues to see a not as common glimpse of humanity actually rising up to the challenge to change themselves as rare as it's displayed within Warhammer 40K. I mean hands down the Imperium of Mankind is basically the _superpower_ of the Galaxy, for how much longer, we know not until the Forty-Second Millennium that is the end of all days.

I guess the rumor mill in Games Workshop is that even the far grim dark future is about to end, or begin anew. My point is even when there's no blood to be spilled, someone rises up to take on the unknown and to face down all the dangers to do what is right. Yet that doesn't it'll be easy...

Are these visions premonitions or hallucinations?

Oh I hope you all understand something, it's tricky to give light to a darkness that corrupts all. Hell I can say from the Lore, sometimes, Chaos is very patient despite the portrayal in this story. So be aware if one of the Great Four doesn't convert a child now, they have all the damned time in the universe to just pick at him. Right now, I'm, only focusing one effort on one particular force of Chaos and I can not wait till I get to the Grand Schemer of the them all. There is a lot of opportunities and many, many possibilities for me to really set this story up for one hell of a bang.

Who do you think it'll be?

What about later on?

Which entity affects him in the present or into the future?

And who of the four has the best chance?

I'll leave those questions and the answers for you to decide.


	8. Chapter VII

**The Inquisitor**

 **Chapter Seven**

I leaned against a wall peeking around it to inspect the street I was crossing yet again.

The bodies were displayed in a ritualistic if not downright methodical slaughter, the eight pointed star practically had been marked with the victims own blood and it never ended. It became a symbolic sense of nightmarish horrors of daemonic intents, it just unnerved me a lot. So I ignored all of it to move forward ever closer to the temple overlooking this city of terror. Explosions racked the outlying exterior of the massive capital as thousands upon thousands were losing their very lives to a Chaos that spread like a plague. My hands gripped the very weapon that once caused my very nightmares to be my very hopes to remain alive and to safe any who needed a holy intervention with this weapon's purpose.

So far nothing but the silent dead were what I encountered in this maddening world.

"Skit any signs of life ahead of me?" I whispered into the vox communicator that my finger pressed to activate it, I crossed this corpse infested roadway in the meantime. My servo-skull familiar had taken to the rooftops to act as a would be scout, or perhaps early warning against any hostiles. I knew what hostiles meant when it came down to crazed people praising whatever insanity condoned this daemonic infested reality. I'd cut down anyone of these cultists given the chance and I heard Skit's monotone respond in it's usual consistency.

" _Negative Acolyte Eius. Proceed at your own discretion."_

My legs carried me through another alleyway witnessing auto-weaponry casings and signs of lasfire from a variety of sources. It depicted a sudden yet violent exchange of a firefight that had long since been won, or lost for that matter. I passed by the signs with varying degrees of blood, or limbs being torn apart through more conventional explosive means. This entire part of the capital had been cleansed, or overrun during my time knocked out underground. I couldn't help but wonder how many had lost their lives in this uprising against the Emperor and to the Imperium which was a source of faith for all of mankind itself.

I dared not imagine turning from the Emperor's faith, I believed in it enough to know that witnessing this mayhem and utter anarchy of a carnage was no benefit to any person. All this proved to me was to hate whatever fickle daemon lay beyond the veil into the Immaterium. The warp held dangers that were truly beyond imagination from what I gathered now, nothing in my life could dispute that claim. So I inwardly prayed to remain silent to find those who I cared for. Shuffling past another wall apart of a building that had been decimated in seeing bloodied rubble creating a small hill for myself to climb over.

Practically eating dirt, I kept myself from slipping or perhaps tripping over any loose rubble that had been formed during its descent into the ground. I climbed over it to slid down on the opposite slop to continue on my way through this purged out sector of the capital. Emperor's blood I couldn't imagine what had happened once the initial breakthrough came about. How many innocent people were destroyed, murdered or desecrated in a barbaric manner? I grimly estimated hundreds of thousands at the least, but I wasn't kidding myself to know this place became a slaughter house. Rather one in the works and there wasn't a throne damned thing I could do in this situation.

I skidded across a portion of the granite road to press myself against a building's outer wall.

Slowly I peeked around the corner to see yet another empty street.

The only difference this time around was that I witnessed a pile of bodies crudely stacked in an articulate manner akin to making a fort. I bit down on my tongue to avoid hissing out in a rage to see men, women and children all cut open like a sick show. Just to see their faces etched in an agony I had never dreamed, or imagined at all. I swore more then one set of those undead eyes were following my movements when I passed by the two story tall pile of corpses. What a nightmare to see that not even day or so ago this planet was normal yet now it was a slaughter house on a scale not meant to be humanely possible.

Shuddering lightly I used my vox to communicate to Skit, I spoke up a bit quiet yet desperate to ignore the cold chills going down my back. "Skit how much longer until we reach the base of the temple's gates? I haven't see any signs of survivors at all either." Warily I looked to the skyline to see the servo skull floating past the rooftop over my position. Briefly his eye gleamed once while going out of sight towards the destination in mind, I inwardly got myself to calm down after seeing several more bloodied painted eight pointed stars on the streets.

My familiar replied with less then joyful news, " _Confirmed. Three city blocks in current position Acolyte Eius. No Imperium citizens detected, or spotted under deteriorating conditions, survival is low and ever more consistent."_ The static buzz in my ear just made this conversation less then hopeful in any sort of the sense. Shaking my head to ward off a slight headache, I managed to dart across another three to avoid anyone hopefully still around. Plus the very air started to linger of a rotting smell akin to bodies decomposing with a slight fragrance of a sweet fruit.

It really just made my stomach churn violently ever so slightly.

The next five or so minutes I spent trying to search for any sign of human life within this desolate part of the city and it was all for naught. Nothing seemingly motioned for survival for those who weren't apart of this madness openly rebelling and tearing through the heart of reality itself. Only those sickly orange tinted skies that made the sun seem sinister in nature, I felt no warmth and no literal signs of such an orb of fire providing a means to life itself. All that skin could feel was merely the cold lingering despair of a destroyed city. I only could feel a silent despair that leaked off the dead who couldn't defend themselves from this threat beyond the reality of which the Emperor protected from his seat on the throne.

Pressing my back against another wall leading across another corpse infested street, I just had to stop for a moment to regain my control. The smells had gotten worse and it became a hassle to breathe for Emperor's sake, so I took my time. All of the motions to calming down were instilled, or rather taught to me by the Sororitas when trying to allow the body to fully have itself settle down. Slowly but surely my heart managed to go into a normalcy as my stomach did the same, a relief walking in the mists of his nightmarish city was but a small mercy to remain in control. Once I got that settled down I quickly looked both ways through the ever growing misty streets of this capital city.

Absently seeing Skit floating across the street over the rooftop looking down onto my position, I swore his mechanical eye flashed a bright red. "Here we go again Marcos. Stop wasting time, you know every second you waste, Sister Anora or Theresa might be dead." I whispered harshly to myself when I sprinted across the granite route without pausing in my thoughts. My flew across the open gap to continue on the way to the temple whose gates were just beyond the next block over. Sighing a relieved in remaining undetected, I knew this was the easy part in just getting to the temple's ground themselves.

That harder of this insanity of a plan would be getting inside to do three things hopefully.

First as my important goal, was in to save any of the remaining Sororitas who were either half dead, or Emperor knew what they were being inflicted with. Praying for their protection and survival, I bit my cheek to get my legs moving a bit quicker while scanning the alley way in front of me. Rubble, blood and a few pieces of large concrete stones were somewhat in far, or between my spacing. The shotgun remained level in front of my movements, I desperately made sure nothing seemingly followed from behind me as well. Thankfully much to the Emperor's mercy, I only witnessed a silent darkened city at the forefront of my back while moving.

Second goal of this insanity was really in trying to stop the Warp-Rift.

I had no idea and I believed that without Tartarus...

I'd have no chance to close, or seal it.

And finally this was my last goal of this plan, one I so looked to be expectantly towards.

I'd destroy an cultists in my way without hesitation, I'd blast them away with these holy slugs provided by Tartarus to destroy them. The rage inside my heart and mind alike were still very fresh from those visions, or dreams I had. It was what I felt for these fowl monstrous creatures that turned away from the Emperor's light and I'd damn my soul into the Warp to not get even with them. I swore it venomously while ducking under a piece of steel jetting out of a building's wall, "I'll kill as many of you as I can. It'd do the Emperor justice to see heretics such as these animals to be cut down. If not for him I'll do it for Jane, I won't be a coward ever again."

I crouched down when I came down to the main bulk of a road leading up near the temple's gates, I reached my destination. Skit hovered directly over my head on the rooftop overlooking the gate up into the main grounds of the Shrine and I heard him inside my vox communicator. I gulped down any surviving nerves in the meantime, " _Presences detected ahead Acolyte Eius. Two human shaped forms standing guard. Remaining on over-watch until otherwise directed."_ My eyes went to the two stone structures which served as the barracks, or guardhouses for whatever reason. I could hear laughter from my spot in which I made the choice to see why.

Yet I replied to my servo-skull, "Understood Skit. Thank you."

Clutching the weapon close to my side, I made my way up to the side of the structure to hear gleeful laughter and screaming. The screams were of a feminine tone and I inwardly steeled my resolve to at least peek through one of the glass panels peering into the said building. Despite the pieces of glass which were stained in blood splatters, the dripping droplets fell past the gap and onto the ground. Somehow I managed to find a clear enough portion for my eyes. Gulping down any hesitations I managed to look inside and my face went from a stoic resignation into something much more potent.

Anger?

No this was fury.

And a fury that burned inside me like a raging inferno.

" _You sadistic fecking animals!"_

Two cultists dressed in clothing akin to those I saw in the dreams I had were openly violating a woman. She had the uniform of the local Planetary Defense Forces and they were practically rags in having her chained to the wall. Metallic cuffs were cutting into her wrists as the cultists whipped, dragged knives or even openly gorged themselves on the victim. She was being raped, I knew without a doubt and they were singing praises to their Dark Prince whose very presence shifted the face of men. Allowing myself to feel this burning anger, I thought to myself to make sure if there wasn't anymore inside the building apart from the three that were visible.

Dropping the thoughts of the steel wall to mute the whispers, I allowed a floating sensation to drift out to sweep into the building. It was like imagining a picture of what was inside and I only felt three pings per say. Two had twisted purplish outlines bordering onto a dark crimson red and the other was a sorrowful blue as if crying out internally to stop this savagery. I felt so many emotions that weren't my own flood into my very cortex of a brain I held within my skull. The tears were leaking down my cheeks before I had the chance to stop them, I could only feel this sadness and shame that were threatening to consume my very will.

Gritting my teeth I got my weapon prepared as I stared into the burning remnants of a city, I saw only red at this point. My jaw went rigid when a strange yet cold surreal peace floated over into my body. It wasn't dramatic, nor was it some epiphany or anything akin to that special. I just started to shake my head when these feelings of the woman inside the building were flooding into my very being. Someone literally gave me a window into what she felt and I absolutely would oblige this natural hatred of people to a simple statement, " _Oh you bastards are so fecking dead!"_

And at this moment...

I would only feel a strange sensation of a cold satisfaction.

I stood up walking to the doorway to see bodies upon bodies stacked in corners of either gender, I saw children my own age if not longer. Each of the corpses based on the age were cut up beyond any facial recognitions, I hardly could tell what was what and what limbs belonged to their owners. Genders were visible through the lack of clothing to determine men, or women if they hadn't been defiled in such manners akin to the events in front of me. Sliding through the doorway, I managed to briefly close the metallic door to the point where I'd see anyone try to get in. However underneath the window that I peaked into lay a table somewhat full of unused grenades, or some sort of charges with inactive timers located on their surfaces.

The darkness of the room and the little natural light filtered into the building as it concealed my entire form with the black like cloak I had on.

"Say our god's name girl! Come on, it's not hard, you just say the name and all this pain becomes your greatest pleasures. Every single last one of you lot PDF cowards have converted, you're the last one and it's always a pleasure to indulge." I heard one of the cultists saying gleefully as his companion defiled the woman while he stood watching. No reply came from their victim as I kept my face straight even though an urge to snarl angrily nearly tore from my throat. I'd enjoy these next few moments when I heard a shaky if not downright defiant retort to the demands.

"Emperor take your soul and damn it! I will not be apart of you fowl heretical usurpers of the Imperium!" The woman snarled back while trying to in vain struggle to kick off her assailants, I gave this woman a look akin to respect. Rape victims were frequent in the hive city I lived in, both boys and girls alike told tales of those shady people who took them into the dark. Jane even mentioned that to me if a random stranger offered a grox burger, I'd say no and haul ass out of the same area. Yet I ignored those past memories in favor to check the rest of the building out, I saw no one else but those three in the corner room.

I finally got ever so closer that I was standing roughly five paces away from them both.

"That false god? He's nothing more then a corpse waiting to be out of his misery, the Great Prince and the Dark ever lasting Pleasure is what makes this faith so worth it. Perfection is just waiting for you and all the pains you had in life are pleasures for eternity." One of the men ranted angrily yet almost happily when he stepped forward with a jagged knife. He flipped the blade to have it face the woman and I swore I could see my face within its confines in the dim lighting. I crouched down to brace for the recoil of my weapon which steadily took aim.

As the man advanced his companion pulled out of the woman, he wiped away the sweat forming on his forehead. It left a perfect window and the cultist with the knife "I'll personally enjoy carving the Star of Chaos into your chest girl, I swear you'll feel all the pain and the utter..." No more words were needed to be said and I had the intent all set to go. Not one of these bastards would leave this place alive, I'd swear it or the Emperor could damn my soul to the Warp for being a coward yet again.

I pulled the trigger.

And in doing so...

I was sending the man's skull and brain alike splattering over the walls.

Twisting over to the right the other cultists watched as his comrades headless body fell to the ground. He screamed in a warning as I ended his life within seconds, I felt the ejected shell of the weapon sting my face briefly but I had a grin in place. "Hey feck head! Sorry to break your spirit but I think the Emperor disagrees and I'm just carrying out his will. Burn with your chosen god you son of a bitch." I hissed out gleefully as the fires of vengeance surged into my veins as a result. The surviving cultists roared out in rage as I sent him to his death with a fist sized hole through his chest.

He fell to the ground screaming in a terrible yet rightly earned agony.

Standing over his thrashing body, here I sent another round into his skull as well to have the brain matter scatter onto the bloodied floor. I stood over him feeling a great sense of achievement yet it felt hollowed to know so many died and none had the chance to return the favor. Reaching into my pocket to reload I looked over to the shackled woman who seemed to be looking at me as if I were a figment of her imagination. The outline around her shifted from a sorrowful blue to lightly faded out white coloration followed by a tint of green. Plus her eyes were wide with confusion and a dimming emotion that dare I'd say it to be hope?

I finished reloading my weapon when I walked over to her, I didn't know what to say. The cuffs hanging her on the wall were cutting into her wrists, I figured to do the right thing to get her out and pray to the Emperor for a solution. Kneeling down next to one of the gushing headless corpse, I noticed a set of keys matching to the crudely adapted shackles binding the soldier to the wall. Setting down the shotgun and it's still smoking barrel, I used the hidden knife to cut the leather off the cultists belt. Absently his clothing matched similarly to the woman on the wall, I dared to imagine he betrayed her or something alone those lines.

"I'm going to get you free, so please don't try to attack me. If you don't believe me for it, well you're welcome to yell all you like." I said to the woman while leaving my hand away from the weapon the ground, the soldier had a clear enough mind to realize my intent. I even hid the knife back into my cloak to leave my hands clearly unoccupied by a weapon, her eyes were tired yet resolved to defy any signs of the heretics faith to remain true to the Emperor. "Who are you kid?" She weakly asked as I offered a small smile as if a bit confused to reply.

I wanted to say exactly who I was but Tartarus didn't want anyone to know I was apart of the Inquisition.

So settled on a half truth just to relieve her and myself, "A visitor to the planet. I'm with my mother who was instructed to inspect the planet based on a High-Lord of Terra. She went to the governors palace and I was on my way back to the temple, I don't know if anyone I know got out of there." The soldier groaned in pain when I unlocked the cuffs binding her wrists, her face seemed less in pain now but I managed to support her before she feel. The weight caused me to hiss out straining to set her down with having my face plant first into the concrete floor.

When I got her to set down she replied back weakly, "The palace? Kid I hate to say it but that was the first place that got hit apart from the capital." Glancing around I tried to find a blanket, or something to to cover her tattered chest area. My eyes settled onto a coat of sorts as I flung it over to cover the wound as the soldier hissed out yet managed to be grateful for the gesture. Honestly I had no idea in how to patch, stitch or treat those wounds that were making her suffer who knew how much agony. Perhaps if I made it out alive, I'd ask for lessons to treat wounds outside of an infirmary, I'd wager that the Emperor would be pleased to know how to save a loyal subject of his Imperium.

"This whole city has gone to shit." She continued as I picked my shotgun back up to help her get comfortable against the wall. Her limbs were shaking even when she tore off portions of her uniform to make bandages to cover her wrists. I even helped her in holding one limb flushed out and even in her pained state this soldier managed to stem the bleeding of her own body. "Within the first hour of contact with these maddening heretics, I can say we lost hundreds of thousands of both PDF and civilian lives alike. The these _things_ came out of nowhere, they were men yet they managed to do unworldly acts to seemingly phase in or out of reality to avoid lasgun fire. They were twisted, disfigured as they screeched out words in..."

I interrupted a bit hesitant yet I could take a guess in what she was describing, "In a way that gets you uneasy? Scared? That their voices can't sound even naturally human?"

Just by saying this to her while adjusting the makeshift blanket over her, I swore her eyes were piercing my own orbs. In a way this seemed eerily similar to Tartarus but not as dangerous, well dangerous in other ways yet the point of the matter was that I felt uneasy. However she broke off the glare to shift herself uneasily against the stone wall. So I searched again for anything to support her back. Nothing inside this place seemed to be for comfort as I noted the varying degrees of tortured corpses blocking the views.

"Yeah. That says its all, I swear to the Emperor and his throne that I lit them up. Crazy bastards cut down a whole platoon's worth of men in a minute." She muttered briefly when I glanced back over at the doorway to see a faint glowing. A bit wary I moved over towards the door to peer through it to see that the skies had grown an ever more sickly orange. A shimmering veil seemingly lifted over the temple as the statue of the Emperor started to erode at the height of its apex. My eyes looked to the temple and the slim hope of finding any surviving Sororitas. " _I don't have much time do I? What should I do? Contact Skit and find a way to save this person's life, or continue onwards to find the others? Throne of Terra, what a mess I'm getting into now for sure."_

Unfortunately my curiosity made the person who I helped ask the obvious question.

I had the impression she knew I was lying and it got me worried because I just fecking sucked at it. Her tone brokered no room for humor, "Things are getting worse out there, right? Not once in the history of this planet's conception, or my own experiences have seen a sky bleed orange. This is sorcery at its worst and no human of the Imperium can be responsible for this insanity!" Technically she wasn't wrong but neither was she right, I couldn't dispute either claim to not give away my position. Tartarus was going to kill me for this stunt but I'd at least do it right, if such a notion could be assumed and by the Throne it sounded ridiculous.

"Yup. Sky glowing orange, weird creatures and people going nuts. What's _not_ to be worried about?" My resigned shrug made the soldier stare at me more curious now. Perhaps the lack of any emotional ties to this place, or rather my personal goal to achieve had given me away. I didn't even realize in saying that rather humorously had creaked a crack in my newly minted armor of cover. I'd give her the praise of the Emperor to know she called me out on this within the next minute in revealing the sarcasm in its true base.

"Who are you boy? Every child I've seen and know I've know screamed bloody murder at what's been happening. Everyone ran like water being diverted into a drain, so what gives? What in the name of the golden throne are you doing here and by all accounts you shouldn't be alive." She sounded defeated in the sense of trying to make sense to this madness and I didn't blame her really. I tried to understand the fact that something, or someone beyond what I've seen in reality was literally hounding me. Tempting me, gloating me or doing whatever it wanted to get my attention to the point where it made the migraines worth it to keep it out.

Yet if she wanted to know me, I'd ask her the same for sanity's sake alone.

"You first. My mom never liked me speaking to strangers." Using the cover stuck true as the soldier snorted almost amused at my grin. Still she did return the question with an answer, "Captain Irene of Mastora PDF and currently semi-retired Elysian Drop-Trooper. Not that I'm not grateful kid, but thanks for kill these two sacks of flesh. Someone finally answered the prayers I've been saying for years." The gruff woman cracked a smile despite the situation she was currently in, a feat in its own right if I dared to say.

Yet I tipped my hood in a respectful gesture to the soldier.

Though I had no idea in what she did apart of being in the PDF but I wasn't going to ruin the somewhat civil mood.

"Marcos Eius. Current son of Jalena Tartarus and hopefully not a soon to be deceased one either." I joked near the end to make the soldier grin knowingly. Tartarus was going to kill me for sure when she'd realize I disobeyed her orders to get out of the city, "And no problem. Honestly you're the first person I've met today who isn't completely weird, or just flat out crazy." I spoke the truth in that regard and the woman grunted trying to steady herself to stand. I waited from my spot watching the outside leaving the captain to do what she wanted, if she could get on her feet, then I'd give her my support in the prayers to the Emperor as well.

As much as I looked to the main pathway leading upwards to the plateau, I got interrupted midway in imaging what I'd fine there.

Irene asked me almost seriously to the point where I knew she knew I lied to her about my intentions here. However she still wanted answers to someone who did save her life and I listened. She spoke up while gesturing to the outside through the window, "What are you hoping to do here Marcos? Any sane person would have high tailed it to the eastern seaboard to catch a shuttle off-world yet here you are. In the middle of some maddening infested city with sorcery running a muck."

My eyes dropped when I muttered a reply, "To save my friends. People who I care about and I'd not live with that shame again to watch someone I love be torn apart. So I figured to get up here to find out if anyone's alive, if so, try to do something and if I die." I looked to the gruff looking woman who stared at me akin to surprise. A silent surprise and I offered a resigned smile, "If I do get to see the Emperor when I die, I'd say I'd at least die happily. Crying doesn't do a fecking thing as much as I've already know, I mean I cried for a person who was with me for all life."

Even now tears fresh for other reasons were just adding to the internal misery. Oh feck me I knew it'd be easy to cry but it was harder to stop. Shaking my head I kept them manageable to ignore the pain, I needed to be strong in the present and the recent past had only taught me to just deal with it. No one cared for loss and Tartarus never gave a damn to begin with, so I'd be the only person to remember my best friend. Inhaling deeply I looked up at the solder while idly feeling a single tear drip down my chin, I just offered a resigned posture.

The woman slowly got to her feet while deeply inhaling to steady herself, I witnessed a person somehow cope with all that pain they were in before my very eyes. She clearly wasn't comfortable but she managed to shakily walk at first out of the tortured confines of that room to sit at the table in where the arsenal of explosives were at. She sat down while lifting up one the las-rifle weaponry assortments tossed onto the side of the said table as if it were thrown away. All the while checking the weapon for any signs of broken cracks, or components that I'd never guess to exist. In the end she slapped a power-cell into the weapon after checking it via ejecting its entirety, I could only fathom in what mystery she did this for.

"Ironic that grown men act like little spoiled brats when faced with dangers they can't grasp yet a child acts more of a man to save those he cares in the face of the very same dangers." She set the now functional weapon in front of herself on the table. I noticed both amber like eyes staring at the orange sky for a moment just before turning to me, "Marcos right? I don't know why your here on Mastora and I don't care why you want to keep it a secret. Emperor protect me but I can offer you my services to shoot a weapon, I can't in good mind leave a kid like you here alone and to rub dirt in the wound, you did save my life." While the lack of light inside the room made her face barely visible, the outline surrounding her body from a pale green to a somewhat brighter white. That meant she thought positively about me in her general thoughts, I still had to figure out what those coloration meant when this was over.

I had gotten sick of second guessing myself and I wasted enough time here as it was really.

"I can't tell you what to do or not, but at least I'll have someone with me. Any ideas in how to clear out a large group of cultists if we see them in the main cathedral?" I asked the captain who looked to the table to tap the unused grenades. She offered her insight on what was available and quite frankly I praised the Emperor for giving me a means to take out as many of those heretical bastards as I could have done. "Standard frag grenades are going to do the trick for any large amount of enemies, I'd say we have enough here to clear a small building. Plus we have more then a few power cells for the las-rifle I got on hand, thank the golden throne for that, not to mention we have these bad boys ready for usage as well."

She pointed to square like devices with the timer panel, I looked down a bit curious.

As she explained I whistled out in shock, "Melta charges used for survey teams for mineral deposits. Not as strong as the Imperial Guard's standards but enough to make a big bang when needed. Overall this will clear a whole platoon if not several's worth with the _proper_ directions." I noticed a bloodied bag of sorts stuffed next to a few corpses, I exhaled sharply while yanking it free of the nerveless limb. Setting it down on the table I offered a grim smile, "Well it's a start for something good. Although Irene can are you going to be _alright_ because of what just happened to you..." My hand pointed to her abdomen and the other such details that the two rapists were doing to her. I didn't need to explain what since the idea wasn't exactly old news at all.

The woman knew what I meant while offering a shrug, "If I were fertile or capable of having a child Marcos. I'd say I'd be a lot worse off but taking a sharp object to where my womb was located at, well I say being able to be amongst the living is a price to pay. Besides if they had slipped up, I'd have found a way to cut their throats and tear off what made them men, all with a knife or a rusted nail." Inwardly my body tingled in a natural warning to curl my legs. Shuddering briefly at how wickedly vindictive this woman seemed, I just offered a small nod at her imaginative methods of doing an on the fly field surgery.

"I guess something good can be done in a world full of madness." I said rather plainly to which the soldier snorted almost bemused. Her hands were filling the bloodied bag with all the explosives and the charges in an eager manner, "I'm just a bit lucky Marcos. Lucky for you to have heard this commotion or else I'd be tortured until I was dead. Least I can do is offer to help you to do some _real_ good in killing these bastards as much as we can." I didn't get why she seemed so eager but the blood thirsty in her eyes made me less then at ease. She seemed all the more eager to get back at the insanity that threatened to destroy this world and to be fair, I had to ask myself a single question.

Was I any different then her to get back at these sons of bitches?

"Also while I was a captive here, I overheard some of them bringing survivors or anyone captured to the temple. Something about be rewarded or _recognized_ to be a champion of whatever the feck they're into out here." The former Drop-Trooper stated a bit concerned as I inwardly remembered the memory of the cathedral's interior. In having dozens upon to hundreds of heretics going insane over the fact of sacrificing the Sisters of Battle to their Prince, or whatever the feck they thought of it. In the end I waited while scanning the outside for any movement of any kind and nothing came up.

Yet I simply pressed the vox-communicator in my ears to reach my servo-skull familiar, "Skit. Has there been any movement since myself entering this building?"

The answer I got should have made me feel safe but all it did was feed an ever growing chill inside my stomach. " _Negative Acolyte Eius. No signs of life detected and standing by over your location. Shall I attempt to re-establish communications to Inq..."_

My voice spoke up loudly to block out that last word, "No Skit! That's fine, I just wanted a heads-up on if anything heard the shotgun go off. Continue scanning and I'll give you the go-ahead to follow myself up to the temple's main entrance. Thank you though for trying but I doubt it's going to work with the rift so close." I had to tilt my head away from the woman who had been intently staring at me. She heard some of the conversation for sure but I kept the more required important details concealed, I'd rather have my Inquisitorial teacher not try to kill me immediately for sure now.

The soldier packed the bag and slung it over her more preferred shoulder just as she tided up her belt line. My eyes were averted to have a shred of modesty and respect to not stare, I didn't want to imagine what in the Emperor's name this woman felt now. It was bad enough I picked up on the mood minutes prior, I heard her speak up a bit thankful at my posture. "Thanks for the privacy kid. Not required but it's a good thing to see even youngsters like you can behave, so keep that habit up and you'll be a magnet in the future." The woman's sweaty yet pale face didn't ward off the gratefulness inside her orbs. Even while she put her helmet which was a battered PDF helmet of sorts with a single emblem of the Imperium of Mankind on it's frontal exterior.

The wings of Aquila were plastered in a golden crest and the wings encompassed it's base with pride.

I opened the door to step out while looking up to see Skit hovering over the rooftop scanning the area with his mechanical eye. So I looked to a few found ally and hopefully another friend, I said to Irene with a resigned voice, "A magnet? For trouble I bet, if this is any given indication. I don't even know what in the Emperor's name is going to be waiting for us up there, so don't get ahead of ourselves please."

With her weapon raised to her eyes, the soldier moved quickly outside but not before smiling down to me on the way past. She offered a piece of advice that left me puzzled, "A magnet for trouble most boys your age will kill for Marcos. Just keep doing what you're doing and I guarantee growing up will do the rest." Her smile wasn't merely for humor but of a truth that lingered in my own future somehow. However in the end I just shrugged while following the more experienced soldier into the gardens littering the sides of the main roadway leading to the shrine at the top of this terrain itself.

We'd stick to the more densely packed foliage for cover and concealment, I wasn't going to be spotted on an open road leading into the heart of a created Warp-Gate and I'd damn myself to not be an easy picking for these daemons. Yet in the back of my mind I heard a faint whispering, a very familiar one at that as well.

The kind that made my spine tingle in a warning.

What I heard caused me to stare up at the temple as it got closer, " _ **Come out, come out wherever you are little one."**_

And I whispered back mentally, " _Who ever said I was hiding! So play hide and go seek all you want. I'll find you one way or another, I promise you that. Bitch."_

That only made a giggling echo in my ear as I moved onwards.

" _ **I'm looking forward to it, my sweet little Marcos."**_

 **End Chapter Seven**

 **Author's Note:** Leave a review, I really want to see more please and I'd be much happier.

There is nothing wrong with a slow build up into a conflict, I will say slow buildups make the suspense and the action all the more gratifying instead of blindly rushing into it. More so in this sense of having the first mission, experience and effects of daemonic influences creeping into a psyker's mind through his exposure to it's whispering tendrils. Chaos as a whole is to corrupt the living mortal shells of those in reality yet each individual _patron god_ has it's own unique whispers for those to pick up on it.

Apart from that I bet someone is asking themselves: why have him encounter a survivor?

Marcos is just a kid, a really driven child but still one at heart. He couldn't resist, or rather would not ignore the plight of anyone in such a position given the tools he has at his disposal. However as much as he is driven to do something noble yet kind of fool-hardy at it's core. He's a kid and he's not a one-man army hell intent on defeating hordes of daemonic entities or chaos corrupted heretics. Limits are what drive humanity to shatter them into the next dimension but right now, his growth is dictated on encountering and surviving to do what he can to get whatever results he needs to improve upon his base.

And to be fair, I saw a window.

Just I did have an opportunity to expand upon a bit into the specializations of the Imperial Guard (or if you want to be that technical, Astra Militarum) and having Elysian Drop-Troopers isn't really impossible. Once they get cycled out of rotation for active service, the Drop-Troopers can be assigned or request new units to retire in. Not to mention in the lore the PDF (Planetary Defense Forces) are based on the local governments usages to remain to defend the planet. Basically they're some loose Militia who are used for whatever means and rarely are they any good, expect on well known Imperial Guard planets like: Elysium, Cadia and etc.

So hiring retiring or any professional Imperial Guard Officers to oversee the PDF on any Imperial Planet is not impossible according to the crazier events in Warhammer 40K. Still my point is I like Imperial Guard and having a means to expand it without going overboard, it's fine in my book.

And what more do you want?

Blood?

Because that's coming up anyways.

So that's that.

Again please leave a review if you want to make me feel happier.


	9. Chapter VIII

**The Inquisitor**

 **Chapter Eight**

"That's the window leading to my quarters inside the temple. Once we get in there's a hallway leading to an upstairs overview of the cathedral and I can get back to see if anyone I know is alive. Plus this is where I sneaked out originally to go explore the city." I explained quietly to the soldier who was covering the area to our immediate right, Irene seemingly took in my explanation with a gruff grunt. She carried the entire bag of explosives without complaint and not once did I ever hear the need to stop for rest. I could certainly say without a doubt, I watched this woman barely flinch, I pegged her to have steel for willpower if I could ever believe it.

We were crouching behind the bloodied foliage in a garden directly parallel to the ground floor of the temple's looming presence. I noticed that a sense of dread of slipped over this environment much to ever my growing paranoia in something watching me. I heard no whispers, no sense of life had survived on the outside and only a faint rumble of voices could be heard from within. Overall I didn't like where this was going but my window was literally my assigned room to get in quietly without being seen physically. While the goal was to get inside the temple itself, I had the choice that I'd rather do it quietly and mainly to see if anyone was really alive inside the main hall alone.

Hope literally became a double edged sword both in my mind and heart now, "Explains why no one who you'd be with noticed you. Stay in a room like a good kid and you end up giving anyone the right idea. You took off once this uprising took place." Irene grumbled somewhat approvingly at my luck and eagerness to look around. I gave a sheepish smile in return while crouching next to some bushes to see several corpses torn apart over a small pond of water, "I wanted to look around. Plus the entire time I was here, I wanted to get away because the cathedral and that caretaker woman gave me a weird sense of uneasiness. So really it just reinforced me to get away." The gruff looking woman glanced down at my form a bit curious, "Weird sense? Like you got a bad vibe off someone?"

I managed to move quickly in line with the soldier as we came up to the wall in where my room's window was located at. The panels were smashed and I could see a lot of overturned objects inside the said place as if someone were desperately, or furiously searching for me. Pieces of glass and red droplets were all over the balcony leading down into the ground, I shuddered at what had happened when I was away. However I still had been asked to elaborate on what I got weird senses, I doubted saying in me being a psyker would be a good thing. And to be fair with the Emperor I'd swear Tartarus would have another reason to probably kill me.

Smirking briefly I started to explain, "A gut feeling I usually get when someone isn't who they seem. I lived in places that forced me to listen to my instincts, I'm not wrong but it's just..." Naturally I struggled to explain a feeling that many couldn't even imagine to put words into. Irene didn't mind my frustrations as she cracked a grim smirk, " Trust me I think I know what you mean. Instincts are what make any soldier survive on the battlefields Marcos. As a Drop-Trooper I had to operate a grav-chute and trust my own gut to gauge the landing on my drop-zones."

I honestly had no idea in what this woman really explained to me at all. I managed to ignore anything close to seemingly trying to be confused yet apart of me just knew this soldier picked up on it. Irene merely gave me a lop sided grin, "You never heard of the grav-chutes have you? Ah well, I'm not surprised since the Drop-Troopers are spread across the whole of the Imperium right now and to be fair few people can tell since most never look up at all." We managed to keep our voices low for the moment in where we came up to the window before I heaved myself up over the railing. Careful of the glass pieces to not crunch under my weight, I kept my weapon level to move into my brief quarters to see it all torn apart. So I waited near the edge of the door to peek down the hallway.

Really I kept a lookout while Irene got herself over the railing as well. Not a single sign of life came to greet us when the two of us crouched near the doorway itself. Only seeing the walls scorched with fire, or bloodied hand prints tended to get me uneasy as to what in the Emperor's name had happened here. It seemed like something had gone down yet I had nothing in what exactly occurred. I just prayed to the Emperor for a sign of hope, " _If anyone of my friends are alive. I beg you Emperor to allow them to have had a small mercy and survive, I ask this of you for their own sakes."_ But I had wasted enough time as it was already.

Slowly I crept past the doorway to step into the hallway covering the approaching towards the route to the main cathedral and Irene shifted behind me to cover the opposite way. Distant chants seemingly echoed from wherever it originated, I could feel the shivers going up my back now. Charred flesh could be detected in the air and I couldn't help but notice the blood trails leading towards the main cathedral interior. In fact I lifted my boots to see that the once comfortable carpets were drenched in liquids, I assumed it all to be blood or anything on the interior of a human body. Not to mention I could see small pieces of reddish flesh occasionally littering the floor. Now I could only imagine how many were killed when it began.

Inwardly I knew for sure that I needed to go to the main cathedral to truly see if any of the Sororitas were indeed alive. Although the one good thing would be that I wouldn't be alone inside this place of madness, "Irene. If you continue to go down this hallway, you'll come to a stair case leading to the upper levels. If you'd want, I'd say use that as a vantage point and just rain down any support whenever you wanted too." I explained quietly as the former soldier looked to see a bend with lesser amounts of bloodied prints along the walls. She seemed to be contemplating in why I'd be offering her a more suitable position for an attack of surprise. I think she got the idea and I didn't need to be a psyker to understand why.

Irene scoffed in disbelief, "Emperor's blood! Marcos you're not walking down into the main bulk of these heretics? What do you expect to happen?" She questioned rather intently as I looked away from the hallway for a moment. Adjusting my hood I kept my face concealed when I replied back with a pained smile, "Expect? No, I'd say guarantee to happen. When they all keep their attention on me, you just use those melta charges and just clear the room with a big bang." My suggestion to her made the former soldier crouch down to my level to stare at me seriously. Did she not think I'd risk my life to save those who I cared about?

Maybe that wasn't the case in what Irene said next, "Marcos, listen to me very carefully. Melta charges in a clustered group would do a lot more damage then what I'd ever recommend. There's no given chance for you to survive if they all go off and you're right next to them." So that was the reason why she gave me these warnings, I'd probably die really quick if what she said was true. However to be fair, I'd expect that risk without hesitation and my purpose to close the Warp-Gate would be all the more easier if it gets taken out. At least I wouldn't die a failure in that sense.

I gave a weak grin, "Good to know that the Emperor's giving my prayers a sense of hope. If we're lucky we can kill them all pretty quickly but I'd rather be assured in what I can get and call it a miracle." The soldier looked at me as if I were insane which wouldn't be far too off. I even questioned the fact I'd be sane after this day in doing a lot of crazy decisions, I'd dare say it'd be worse when Tartarus found out. So I managed to keep my smile in place while shuffling my cloak closer to my body, I wanted to keep the warmth that would flee soon enough. In the end the former Drop-Trooper just shook her head unable to understand my inability to feel remotely normal.

Irene pinched the brow of her nose to maintain some discipline on her part, "Throne! You're mad in the head Marcos, but at the same you have a point. If you can get to cover and manage to stay out of the blast radius then you'd _might_ have a chance to see the next minute. A slim chance, but it's possible." She amended more to herself as I gave a brief laugh of uneasiness in really if I'd be dead. It was a strange feeling to know I was walking to potentially my grace and I found it oddly endearing inside this nightmarish world. Well truth told there wasn't much left to keep me lingering here as inevitably I braced my mind for the worst.

Grimly resolved I gave a weak grin, "Alright let's do this! I can't leave my friends who're down there to die, so when you see an opportunity just drop the living feck out of those charges and I'll probably try to not die in the process as well." The soldier looked at me while trying to remain somewhat composed to see my resignation to walk right into my death. She wanted to say something, or perhaps anything to really understand why in how _civil_ I seemed in this nightmare alone. But in reality she gave me a grim smile, "May the Emperor protect you." I returned the prayer with my own, "And may he guide you in your task."

With that said we parted ways when I covered my face with the hood that I wore. Inwardly my heart kept racing because I knew I'd be walking right into possibly my death, plus I found it ironically settling despite a real notion to make me sick. Perhaps the God-Emperor had a way to make me believe that despite an insanity of this prospect, I'd be doing it to save my friends and quite frankly it was bloody laughable. Here I was in the heart of an infested capital on a planet in where monstrous entities were wrecking havoc and all I could do was walk into the jaws of the beasts themselves. My lips parted into a smile when I started to make my way down the hallway towards the main level. Idly I gripped my weapon tightly to my shoulder when my anxiety grew with ever step I took.

" _I don't like this place, not anymore."_ Slowly my eyes took in the various degrees of blood spatter on the walls, they were imprinted with shapes akin to bodies being tossed around like rag dolls. I witnessed hand prints along the walls and being dragged across with an assortment of holes from ballistic weaponry. It painted the corridor that I walked down like an eerie remnant of a massacre, I had to bite down on my cheek to ignore pieces of reddish flesh littering the entire soaked carpet floor. Hearing the sloshing sound when one of my boots pressured the liquid to split away into droplets made my face turn pale, I could imagine the amount of bodies being split apart to cause such a saturation. I checked down the hallway to hear whispering and fervent warps of laughter.

Paranoia nipped at the back of my mind once again. So I looked behind me to see the nightmarish hallway, " _Come on Marcos. What are you thinking? What's gotten you jumpy? You know nothings there, so far, so just keep on going. Just keep on moving forward to confront these bastards."_ This inner mantra managed to ward off the bad feelings running up my spine, I had to shake my head in the mean time to relax. Edging the weapon within my grip to keep it level with my chest, I took on last deep breath before moving quickly towards the massive entrance leading to the center of this world's madness. I'd be staring right into the heart of all of this cursed damnation.

So I had nothing expect my mind along with the God-Emperor's faith inside my heart. Faith that seemed to fuel my anger apart from the fact I did feel frightened in what I'd be doing. Did it seem insane to me? Yes it would have been save the notion I'd be risking my life to save others, so I had nothing but my own will to empower myself forward. Apart of me personally wanted to laugh at how ludicrous this had become to test myself to not waver in the looming dangers, I wanted to laugh at how maddening this seemed to be yet it didn't truly feel like insanity. Or maybe I simply didn't care anymore.

Inwardly I kept telling myself if I had consider this a bad dream, I'd at least face it head on to ignore whatever desperation my brain came up to keep me in place. I felt fear, I felt it so wholeheartedly yet what did it truly mean for me to consider it? It was just another stone to step over, another corner to turn and throughout it all my brain came to the conclusion that was it like another job. One more hurdle to overcome to reach my friends, the people I'd come to care for and I had disobeyed my Inquisitorial mentor all too willingly to do what I considered to be right. It seemed doing the right thing wasn't easy by any means.

Closing my eyes, I remember what Sister Theresa had said to me on my way down to this planet. It involved the patron of the Saints that founded their Orders, it kept me well aware that fear was natural. I took a deep breath to exhale all of my anxiety away, " _Fear can lead many astray yet when those that understand that fear. They understand in how to channel its potency into the Faith for our God-Emperor who will guide you right."_ Those comforting words were what echoed inside my ears when I blankly stared ahead sweeping my line of view for any signs of the heretical presence infesting this planet. My eyes were incomprehensible when the words trickled to form a collective shield of warmth when I continued on my way into this nightmare of a reality. A barely cool barrel of a shotgun swept over corpses which were torn asunder by what appeared to be cannibalistic hands.

" _Use that Faith as your greatest strength."_ My shoulders burned when the blood started to flow quickly through my veins to make myself angered. I felt that hot boiling rage at the foul powers at work to make a mockery of what a normal life could have been, I felt it so clearly it made my ability to breathe so much more challenging. My knuckles were clenching the weapon tightly at this point when I continued onwards. Again words spurned the hatred inside my heart to surge into a righteous hope to destroy these heretics, " _So allow that zeal to flourish inside your heart."_

I could feel the comfort in knowing Sister Theresa's voice was guiding my resolve to keep my will steadfast to approach this nightmare's origins. As much as it hurt to take one step forward to know that body wanted to run away. Even though I refused my very natural instincts to run, I forced my own body to push the very same that were afraid. These said limbs were what carried me further into the temple. Both of my own eyes remained focused to see the last corridor turn inwards towards the main cathedral. Gathering all wits and will alike I allowed my eyes to close one last time as I set foot into the heart of the temple.

Blinking absently I turned around the corner to see a glowing source of light that seemed unnaturally inhumane in origin. Slowly senses came back into perspective for my body to react to what I witnessed in front of myself. Portions of strength, or bravery seemingly died down within moments when I raised my head to face the source of this madness on this planet. Instinctively I felt the fear grip the very organ I swore hurt to keep me among the living, I felt it so intently it made me cringe. However the last words of the person who taught me to understand fear and what it'd do to those faithful to the Emperor's light shining from Holy Terra itself. These words slowly echoed into my ears as those emotions surged within my mind," _For in the end no fear shall rule your mind."_

My hood kept my face hidden when a sensually deceptive voice that I had been all too familiar with came into my ears once again. The tingle running down my back influenced how unnatural this voice became to my senses as I didn't want to adhere to it's tone. However the sheer amount of will to not do anything but raise my eyes to face the heart of these heretics was what kept me in control. Even so I didn't deny in how inviting this woman's voice seemingly echoed through my ears alone. Promises were layered within the words alone. It tempted me to say yes," _ **So you've finally come to where I've invited you, my dear little one. Five who you cherished are now only three, two have become my fuel for thirst. Thirst in your desires to attain perfection, you've come before me, my dear little Marcos."**_

Despite how pleasantly that voice whispered gleefully, I absolutely refused to consider everything it offered. As such I lifted my head to face what exactly had been haunting me ever since coming onto this planet. By doing it seemed my tongue wanted to lash out words of vicious retribution at what my eyes were witnessing, I nearly started to shoot anything that moved. Air seemingly became like a liquid fire that seeped far beyond what it intentionally was meant to do, to keep myself amongst the living and it failed. I wanted to burn everything that I saw, I'd beg the God-Emperor for a chance at that for sure. As an Acolyte of the Inquisition I'd be true to say this was my life from now on.

The entire cathedral literally became a warped blood bath of sorts, I could see several dozens if not close to hundreds of torn bodies littering the entirety of the once pristine floors. The smell nearly made me gag but I forced myself to clench my teeth. Death oozed out of every crack and wedge within this Emperor forsaken temple, I'd wish to shed a tear yet it wouldn't do me any good. There were spent casings of varying weaponry, all around me it became more and more evident, since I had to idly avoid slipping into a small pile of them when I moved forward. Apart from the bodies did I have to stop myself from reacting visibly at the sight ahead of my path.

I found them yet my mind screamed, " _No."_ While a blessing to which I thanked both Saint Alicia and to the God Emperor's will I found the remaining Sororitas! Throne alone by his very blood I wanted to cry! Naturally I couldn't help so I dearly prayed for a miracle! " _Please don't let them suffer anymore, I beg of you my Emperor. Please!"_ My prayers were merely one portion of a will, another part within me could say I wished I could purge the next seconds from memory.

Threes faces were hidden from view while their white hair stained in crimson stuck out. Also they were bound by crudely sharpened chains with their wrists clasped in twisted cuffs overhead. Pieces of armor that were once of the holy and virtuous had been scattered savagely to reveal their underclothing which was a darkened suit of sorts. Droplets of crimson were flowing from the cuts as chains were serrated and had a gruesome mockery of nails digging into the captive Sororitas. Swallowing bile I noticed their own limbs being impaled as they also hung loosely. Unfortunately I started to grind my teeth together when it became clear, they were purposely hanging to allow gravity on this planet to further torture them with those fowl shackles. Everything looked so perverted that it became a maddening need to get rid of it all.

I wanted to cry out with all the rage inside my heart, I truly wanted to gun these bastards down without hesitation but I couldn't do it. Not now despite that natural reaction, so I allowed my eyes to glare hatefully at the mass of heretical bodies that were starting to notice my presence. I resisted so much to not do anything but stare back at them, " _Not yet. You don't have enough bullets Marcos, you have to wait for Irene. She'll clear the way and you'll be able to get them out of here. Stick to the plan, stick to it and fecking deal with it!"_ I kept my hood to conceal my face when I heard a delighted voice speak up from the stage in which I saw my friends being chained. I prayed to the Emperor to give me strength because it was that bitch of a caretaker herself.

This so called thing called the Convert. One who I'd be sure to send her soul to burn before the Emperor's gaze. I looked over to my right to see a gap between a statue of the Emperor and the wall itself, I mentally debated whether it'd be possible for me to squeeze into it. Sighing mentally I couldn't ignore the goal here, so I remained rigidly in place to hear that blasted woman's voice to speak up joyously. Her voice seemingly inspired many of the heretical humans to either grin, or yell out excitedly as their symbols of chaos were etched like barbaric tattoos on their flesh. It became ultimately revolting to imagine how they were etched to begin with.

"My dear faithful, the guest that our patron god has foreseen has arrived. Truly we are blessed by the Dark Prince as we are rewarded with our greatest pleasures yet to be fulfilled!" The twisted tattoos of chaos eight pointed stars were etched onto her forehead, the seemingly blond hair a mix of red and darkened gore were naturally lively with several chaos stars carved onto her facial cheeks. I had to resist my stomach churning at the tattered robes that were stained in a blanket of blood, I didn't need the imagination to guess where it all originated,"Praise the Dark Prince of Pleasure! Praise his wisdom and his will to grant us our perfection all in his name!" Throne of Terra, I swore this amount of varying chants of agreement and sheer wild abandonment practically echoed inside a once holy temple of the God-Emperor.

I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to waste an opportunity to gauge any location I could wedge myself into if those charges ever go off. A few places would be amble to get my small frame shielded due to the self-explanatory effects of melta-charges. Plus I cracked a grim grin to imagine how bad it'd be. However my hearing picked up on someone shifting over in front of me, so I bit the inside of my cheek to stare up to see a tattooed and crudely pierced heretic man move right into my weapons range. I gave myself ten seconds as I witnessed a foul and honestly disgusting sight of barb wires wrapped around his fists as if they were serrated.

" _Keep their attention on you Marcos."_ Without taking anymore time with that statement in mind, I had to do what was planned so they'd all be wiped out. My hands adjusted themselves when I leveled the firearm in my grip and pulled the trigger, or I attempted too. A tingle at the back of my skull made me freeze because I heard shuffling footsteps. My body froze when that cold feeling came to a startling realization. It came to the fact to an honest mistake, throne I prayed to my God Emperor yet it seemed I missed one. That first indicator came in a solid if not depraving fanatical cry which gave me little time to prepare myself!

"For the Dark Prince!" My body flung itself to the side as I raised my weapon to send the center of the instigator's chest into the opposite wall. The shell's discharge disrupted the prayers and what not in the main bulk of the heretics as I stood up to insert another round of ammunition into the weapon itself. Another corpse had fallen onto the stained floor as I stared up to see the wired fist heretic try to spear rush me, I kept my legs nimble to run quickly. Due to the rapid paces I set myself I slid on the tiled floor because of the saturation of blood it became a fiendish sensation akin to a slide. One that seemed more sickening to know it'd be drenched by those loyal to the Emperor. And to see it like this?

I got right in front of the first man with the wired fist and simply sent his skull into pieces as gore splattered onto my cloak, " _That's two. And there's plenty more."_ Another shell hit the floor as I managed to keep myself alert just crouched down next to one of the many support columns holding up the main cathedral. My hood kept my face plainly out of sight as I witnessed the main mass of heretical citizens draw whatever weaponry they had, I even silenced any remarks to taunt them. I couldn't take them all down even if they rushed, I wouldn't have the time nor the luck to really gun them all down. Now I wished I had gotten some training from Tatarus's troopers on the ship. Swearing to myself since I'd have to expand my confidence to find more weapons to do my purpose for the Imperium, well it came down if I survived somehow.

Unfortunately my lips twisted in a snarling expression when a stripped body that seemed to be a female caught my gaze. I couldn't even tell if the person suffered, or died quickly to these insane heretics that were making a mockery of the Imperium. I may not have been a zealot yet I knew for fact nothing good came out of this faith to whatever these insane creatures preached. No amount of teaching could ever say to me that redemption could be earned, _"I'll kill as many of you as I can. None of you deserve to be in the Emperor's light. I hope all your souls burn before his gaze!"_ Rancid like laughter echoed in my ears when I heard chanting again.

The caretakers voice took on a higher pitch of seer excitement, now I had to wince at how it sounded because it got similar to when metal got scrapped together, "Excellent! Most excellent! The Dark Prince grants me a child whose resistance will be all the more pleasurable to break. Bring him to me alive and unspoiled my beloved faithful." Within moments a few more former citizens tried to rush my crouched position. Their inhumane screams made my eyes go wide yet I aimed steadily to gun them down in a shower of bloodied gore. I knew for every shell clicked to the ground to soak itself in the growing fresh streams of crimson that came from the heretical filth.

I fired again and again, I fired even when my palm burned against a blessed metal. One after the other tried to rush me with crude blunt weapons that were more then likely scavenged from Emperor knew what. Each shell fired out of the shotgun started to make my hands go numb but I had to brace it against my stomach to really keep the weapon steady. Sweat dripped past my chin as I inwardly worried about how long I'd have to hold out. Eventually I'd run out of shells until reloading them and I seriously doubted these insane creatures would allow me to do so under the Emperor's blessing no less. Apart of me started to realize that having a loaded gun didn't mask the growing fear that I had walked onto my grave. Several shredded corpses fell right on top of each other as the weapon grew hotter within my trembling fingers.

Inhaling a huge breath of air once my back hit the solid wall as the heretical mob eased their way forward over their own dead. More then a few stepped onto the corpses to crush skulls for the sake of spilling blood and to my growing disgusted horror they'd kill the dead with near orgasmic expressions. My teeth bit down to stop that urge to snarl as the last of the shells clicked with a prominent echo that set my enemy's expression alight with glee. Apart of me wanted to rush loading more shells but I didn't have the time, or the luxury of actually knowing how to do it properly. So I prayed to the Emperor that I did my part as best as I could have done yet now I had wait in despair.

People that might have been once human now held bloodied chaos eight pointed stars either ingrained or cut into their flesh as their eyes seemingly were dilated with literal madness. I wanted to kill them all, by the Emperor's light I wanted too! But I had nothing except for a las-pistol to hold an entire mob of cultists off. My own heart pounded furiously I pressed against the wall to wait for the inevitable rush to grab me to that wretched woman overlooking the cathedral. However in a blur my vision wavered into a swirl of orange and red as an obviously familiar alluring voice came to encroach upon my distress.

" _ **Oh this is so utterly sweet, I could eat you up. No matter how hard you fight, no matter how hard you resist, I will claim what is mine and you my dear little one have caught my undivided attention."**_ It's laughter made a skull crunching ache form almost immediately as I resisted to tear up at the agony alone. Praying fiercely to the Emperor for strength, I looked down to understand what needed to be done! Desperation overtook my sanity once I forced my free hand to clasp the red hot barrel of the weapon in a bid to ignore the laughter.

It worked a little too well before I'd ever deem it otherwise. I barely had time to understand when I screamed as I heard my own skin being sizzled once it came into contact with red hot metal. Both knees buckled as I gasped out loud looking up to see the blurred out faces of these heretical humans. My pain made them celebrate all at once yet my eyes caught movement atop on the second level of the temple. In that haze of intentional agony to hold firm against the fowl voices I could see a familiar red glint of a Servo-Skull hovering. I most have gone insane because Skit's eye glowered consistently as if it were glaring on my kneeling form. Following off to the side, I found a source of amazement once my eyes went wide as Irene urgently hefted a full sack of melta charges onto a railing and position it to spread directly within a horde of heretics..

Against all odds I could see her mouth screaming words that struck me faster then anything I've eve felt in my existence, " _Find cover!"_ Beyond faith in the God Emperor, I swore those two words were a literal miracle to find in this nightmare! Whipping my head left to right I couldn't find any means to shield my body and I wanted to yell out angrily knowing death couldn't be far behind. Slamming back into a wall I almost yelped once my eyes stared upwards in disbelief, I craned my face backwards to see a stature of the God Emperor hovering over myself and I realized he'd been looking out for me! There was just enough space to wedge myself into as I witnessed an entire sack of melta charges crash into the ground.

And with moments both of my eyes went dark! Unable to hold back due a skin searing heat I screamed shielding my face with an arm. Massive unworldly tremors rocked whatever I held for bones beneath flesh that couldn't stand this insanity called a flash heat when inhumane shrieks disintegrated by dozens if not beyond as heretical things once human were utterly destroyed. Barely aware I couldn't do anything except bite my tongue to nearly cut it into twain yet I managed to clench both fists feeling another burning consume darkness behind eye-lids. My mind feverishly prayed and chanted every single litany, historical lesson and all the Saints of the Sororitas to give me strength past to survive an all knowing fire of a retribution called justice.

Seconds ticked on by as if it were an eternity until silence came to dominate my senses. Breathing heavily I opened my eyes to a waste land of burning flesh and steaming piles of an unrecognized ash in some places. I gagged openly, "God Emperor help me! Smell's worse then a dump in a hive city." My stomach churned dangerously to a point where I spewed out vomit onto a searing floor where liquid evaporated in a whitish hiss. I fell to both knees letting out what little I held inside my stomach until I managed to wheeze in air barely able to garner strength to stand. Wiping pieces of grim and pieces of saliva on my cloaked shoulder, I got out of the Emperor's statue to offer a grateful prayer for his divinity protecting what flesh I held onto.

"Throne! I feel like fecking shit..." I whispered grasping a significantly cooler las-pistol, "...but least it worked." I glanced downwards to see my cloak partially burnt away to reveal reddish looking flesh yet I hesitantly understood if I was any closer I'd have ash for an arm. Warily I kept the weapon pointed at any corpse not willing to take a chance until I reached sister Theresa and the other bound women up front in the cathedral. It took me several moments to understand majority of these heretical creatures had gotten their due rewards for betraying the God Emperor and humanity as a whole. Yet I looked up past a few steps to see a sight I gleefully couldn't help but to sneer at disgustingly.

It seemed that traitorous bitch herself barely lived, I saw her chest heaving in air. Unable to feel a damnable hatred I quickly moved upwards to see a severely burned creature wheeze out insanely, "Yes...oh, yes I feel it, all this pain...yes it's pleasure, oh please, I can see my dark prince..." Standing over a once loyal subject of the Imperium I merely pointed a las-pistol's barrel directly to her forehead, I saw her eyes delightfully widen before I snarled out, "Emperor burn your soul and go to whatever hellish fate awaits you heretical feckers!" I roared out enraged at all manners of depravity and absolute barbaric savagery I witnessed to send multiple shots into her skull ending any life in those fanatical eyes of something less than human.

Metal burned righteously as I rapidly snapped all efforts to the Sororitas bound. Shakily I managed to aim carefully to at least try to avoid hitting sister Theresa's hands. Careful I eased down a trigger well to send three shots to burn chain metal links away. Paranoid gripped me to be wary, so I did this to those who were still alive, unfortunately apart of my mind regretted in not trying to soften their fall yet I held no strength to attempt it. So three barely alive women fell to the ground in audible thuds and I couldn't help it to have tears leak down my face. These once formidable Adeptus Sororitas looked so broken it seemed to bleed out into my own soul, I couldn't do anything except free them from a torment that was so inhumane it killed a heart inside my chest. Up close I noticed details not seen from a distance, or concealed by a horde of burned corpses.

Crudely drawn symbols were etched on exposed stretches of flesh. Erratically depraved without any sort of logic, I swore they didn't seem particularly merciful when ingrained. Pieces of power armor were stripped, or torn asunder to which I could see a few bloodied desecrated once purified and holy blessed metal, now I almost gagged when one sister's lower extremities were exposed. It seemed brutish rape had been used against them as well, "By the name of our holy father of mankind, I ask and I beg for his mercy to shield his daughters, I pray for your blessing to protect them and to bless their devotion upon your divinity to shield your daughters." I recited from memory of my lessons in properly asking for protection of the Emperor as I took off my particularly burnt cloak to conceal acts of sacrilege for my own mercy upon these people. It left me basically exposed with a small blade sheathed on my hip yet again I refused to consider it anything less than an act of faith to the father of mankind's will.

" _You disgusting animals, I'll kill you all again and again God Emperor willing!"_ My hatred of these creatures refused to die off as embers occasionally wafted upwards. Moving over I managed to slid onto both knees hovering over an unresponsive woman while setting down my las-pistol to firmly tap her face. I spoke trying vigorously to get her responsive, "Sister Theresa! Please wake up, it's me Marcos, please wake up! God-Emperor help you, but...please just come too, or something for feck's sake!" Shaking her seemed to do little save for making my arms strain themselves yet I kept on trying in order get her conscious. Her chest moved faint up and down, I knew breathing obviously indicated she wasn't dead, so praying mentally I carried hope she'd come too and soon enough my efforts were rewarded after several minutes.

Theresa coughed loudly while groaning in clear agony as her eyes fluttered open. Droplets of liquid belonging to my tears hit her face as my heart beat anxiously. "Sister Theresa! It's me, Marcos, please say something!" I begged happily once two eyes strained themselves staring up momentarily before what she said next caused a genuine confusion to wash over my senses. Without even stuttering I heard a woman hiss out angrily, "You...stupid idiotic fool!" Her actions tried to get herself up but failed in literal seconds with the back of her skull hitting the floor, I tried to get her up yet failed miserably. My only assistance came with assisting a wounded person getting herself sitting up against the wall just a few scant meters behind herself. Breathing heavily I watched absolutely silent as an enraged Sororita nearly crushed my own hand in her own feverishly scarred hand.

"God-Emperor damn your foolishness boy...damn it!" My mouth failed to produce words yet she knew what I was going to say, "Why did you come here? You just wasted all our efforts to give Anora and her squad time to find you, or our lady inquisitor herself!" I lowered my head trying to conceal a less then grieving look to whisper faintly, "I couldn't leave you, or Sister Anora here to die! Tartarus told me you were dead and I...I refused to accept it, I won't leave people to die in this hellish place Sister Thersea!" Her eyes were blazing in righteously fury yet an exhaling gesture resigned an action to have her hand place itself upon my scalp. I waited rigidly for a painful smack, or punch to showcase how enraged I made one of my instructors who by all rights held a justification to physically strike me. I trembled after a moment to realize such a strike never came to fruition.

Theresa literally pulled my own forehead to have it touch her own as I heard her voice crack, "Damn your blasted foolishness Marcos, but bless our holy father for your assistance." For once I felt absolutely speechless with a genuine relief yet regardless I recited a prayer of courage to the God-Emperor himself, "I give everything to him and I ask only he guides my actions towards his will for those in his light. I am the shield, I am the sword and I am his servant, I ask for his blessing to do stand beside him at the end." During my lessons among the Sororitas I never once questioned their faith in the Emperor and I in turn never gave up hope that they would still be alive fighting. It hurt knowing I'd done wrong to find them and it was wrong to not give up that right to hope when they hadn't died, so I wouldn't care less in what Tartarus did to me, if I survived this planet's fowl heresy. My heart refused to die when my own mind told me to run.

After I regained my senses I quietly asked, "Can you stand Sister Thersea?" She gave a pained grimace trying to uplift herself as an audible crack caused her to scream in a terrible agony. I almost panicked when noticing her right leg looked crooked, I understood immediately we'd have to be rescued or air lifted by Tartarus. Gingerly my hands lightly hovered below her knee cap to witness a shin practically splintered, "What did they do to you and to the others?" My horrified whisper merely caused her to cough grimly while giving a strained defiance, "No more then what pitiful heretics do to those who refuse to turn away from the God-Emperor Marcos...so don't be concerned, I've deal with worse injuries during my own service to our holy father." I swore her expression softened momentarily as I nodded squeezing a larger hand before turning to the other unconsciousness women. It seemed I'd have to get them awake similar to what I just done, but I felt a weight lift from shoulders to understand I had done an insanely risky decision.

Suddenly a tingle ran up my spine as I froze immediately instinctively! Blinking a few times that tingling grew into a dull aching headache when two hands belonging to myself reacted. That ache kept growing into a sharpening pain akin to a knife stabbing as I fell to my knees rasping out a yelp which Theresa reacted quickly too. Truthfully I dimly heard her words or noise sounding closer to them, "What's wrong? Marcos, speak to me, tell me what's wrong!" My brain refused to form words as I started screaming when an overly bemused voice cracked into existence almost sounding pleased. Almost due to it's tone I considered vomiting what little I had left, yet it seemed a particularly entity belonging to that daemon, or whatever the feck it could have been just laughed absolutely gleeful based on it's tone alone.

" _ **You're absolutely adorable!"**_ It cooed out purring making me yelp again as a driving nail like sensation pierced my skull, " _ **Again you believe you can resist, believe with all your little heart and I shall happily crush it, I do enjoy breaking mortals into pieces."**_ Biting down on my tongue did little to stem all that pain into an outlet, I screamed once another piercing wave crushed a natural ability to stand as bruised knee caps crushed onto the ground. Warm liquid dripped past my own lips as I knew without a doubt it'd have to be blood. Unable to breath I rasped out spitting a mix of crimson and saliva, "...go away, I said go away...you fecking bitch!" Shaking left to right I clawed at the ground in a vain attempt to avoid lashing out towards Sister Theresa, I saw her expression morph into a terrified concern as tears fell down blurring everything altogether.

" _ **No, no, no. I will not relinquish what I claim is mine."**_ It all but sang merrily as it's laughter caused me to scream again. Blood freely and openly leaked past both ears due to it's voice alone, I couldn't stand it anymore and I tried clamping down on them biting away another shriek. Tremors rocked internally to cause bones to shift periodically into a steady steam of unspeakable pain, " _ **Resistance is useless when I have my champion claim another for my desires, you can scream all you want little child, I demand it, I crave it and I desire it, for every mortal who cries out my name I'll say to make me eternally pleasured for truly I love your cries!"**_ Those whispering words were so vindictively sweet I curled into a ball hand clamped down over bloodied earlobes. _God Emperor help me_ , I gnashed all amounts of teeth to nearly chip my own canines with an animistic rage beyond known reason!

" _Feck you! Whatever fecking creature you claim to be, I pray to the God Emperor to blast your soul into the warp!"_ I seethed words causing more laughter to echo as a warning appeared to have drained these entity's patience, " _ **That pitiful corpse on that wretched thing called a throne, do you dare say to me that is what you cling too? Is that where you send your prayers? Oh such lovely raw hatred I sense in your voice, I'll ask you again to say my name and to embrace me as a lover, as your mother for if you do not, I shall make a mere three who you care for become nothing but ash."** _ Literally I swore my own brain felt like it started to melt as heat and pain became an ocean for myself to swim through in a raging storm. I refused to say whatever it wanted me to say, I refused to turn away from the Emperor's light and no damned voice of a daemon would tempt me otherwise! People who I cared for were in danger, it gave me purpose and it gave me a strength endure whatever hellish promises it threw my way.

"Emperor's blood and by Saint Mina herself, you're a damned psyker!" I heard someone familiarly in Theresa's voice whispered out in sheer horror as boiling tears literally poured down my face. Rasping out pained words to ignore a daemon's voice became an actual lifeline for me to remain sane, "Made a choice...to kill my friend's murderer...Tartarus pushed me." I barely could make a face as everything seemed to brighten up significantly where it hurt to keep my eyes open. Focusing on breathing seemed much more suitable and a guaranteed effort to remain aware as I felt hands firmly grasp an underside of an overly sweating jawline. Without warning sensations akin to a cooler feeling wrapped itself to give myself strength, I swore it sounded akin to a harmony of steel and faith once words of prayer eased my beating heart to listen to a Sororita zealously.

The woman's voice kept me anchored in reality, "Blessed father of mankind I humbly beseech your aid. Guide your son into your light, please guide him away from the darkened path of vile heresy, I as your devoted daughter pray to you to give a treasured son of humanity your divine strength." Her hands tightened as my own hands arose to grasp her wrists. My eyes were beyond boiling as light seemingly erupted staring directly up at Theresa's unflinching faith in our Emperor, "Blessed father sitting upon the golden throne upon Holy Terra, I pray for your light to guide your faithful son and give him strength to resist what seeks to corrupt a son of humanity, hear my prayer from your children in order to spread your light in your name." I blinked several times adhering to those words allowing myself to relax as a distant scream of rage got drowned out. It caused my heart to steadily slow down until I managed to gasp in a lungful of air snapping my senses back into a relative peace.

Whatever happened I looked up with my own two eyes believing I was seeing a literal saint reincarnated. This woman's face relaxed once she became aware her own heart felt prayers had succeeded in their task to rein in an instinctual desperation into a solid faithful confidence. Tears were still lingering yet they weren't of pain, but of stunned happiness to see a smile appear on the elder white haired woman's lips, no doubt I believed in our God-Emperor. However more importantly I believed that her faith brought me to adhere to lessons back on the ship, I feared so many things yet I needed to channel that fear into something absolutely iron-clad to prevent it from ruling me. If I hadn't hear those words I'd probably be dead, or someone far worse as I shuddered severely in sheer gratitude under her firm touch.

"Never lose faith Marcos, never lose faith to overcome your fear." Theresa stated proudly while trembling as I bowed my head feverishly grateful to her advice. Despite having blood dripping down onto the floor I managed to smile, "If Saint Alicia can stand before our Emperor taking orders of a madmen and then to an end an age of heresy, well I believe I can listen to a Sister Superior to never lose faith in our Emperor. Thank you." I gazed directly without fear to witness a sturdy hand unwavering place itself over where my heart beat soundly. Her gaze pierced through flesh and cloth alike to show faith in our God-Emperor hadn't led her, or myself astray as I made the sign of Aquila making her nod approvingly to never waiver. Perhaps relying on others wasn't so far-fetched to believe yet what came next managed to at least dip my head in shame.

Theresa allowed her hand to fall onto my forehead, "You're a psyker aren't you?" She asked me again simply with a flat tone as I nodded meekly, "How can you tell?" That reflexive question caused her to snort briefly when bringing a bloodied finger to tap against my temple, "Your eyes Marcros." The injured Sister of Battle stated factually, "Both of them were glowing a bright green. I've seen others before so it's easily recognizable, but unlike those I've encountered, I could feel your panic oozing off your form as you cried out for help." I remained silent as she merely sighed out heavily, "You're not just a foolish child, but a dangerous one and if we survive this planet, I will raise questions to your teacher in getting you properly trained. Untrained psykers are very...frowned upon in the sisterhood, as you know from our lessons." An understatement of grand proportions, I compared it to saying the Ecclesiarchy heavily frowned upon heretics who denounced our God-Emperor and I only accepted consequences in having people who I cared about fear for their safety.

" _I never chose to be a psyker, but I chose to destroy a daemon."_ Ultimately I gave an uneasy grin confidently displaying some sort of crude humor, "At least I understand, I have good teachers who trained me to know right from wrong." Theresa snorted dismissively yet a small smile tugged on her bruised face to show my optimism effected her. Her gaze shifted towards her fellow sisters who were show signs of stirring finally, I stood up staring beyond an entire battlefield seeing numerous heretics purged out of existence. If I had any consolation it'd be killing these disgusting animals and being able to see another day, I could live with consequences if killing those turning away from the God-Emperor stood to harm myself or anyone I cared about genuinely.

Staring back up towards where my servo-skull hovered I pressed a finger to activate a vox channel. Taking a breath to steel my voice as it managed to remain clear, "Skit you and Irene can come down. Also try to contact Tartarus please, I don't want to stay on this planet anymore, please confirm?" I expected him to respond yet a crackle of static became oddly prominent. Frowning I waved upwards to get the servo-skull's attention but his eye kept glowing in one of its sockets. What in the name of father of mankind was he doing? Gripping a cooling las-pistol I managed to look across a ruined cathedral's interior naturally worried as charred corpses twitched, or remained still to indicate they were vaporized into ash. What the feck was causing interference over a vox so close to Skit's location, I swore it couldn't have that damnable voice again.

Another piercing sensation smashed into to the forefront of my head almost in a warning! Trying to not wince I kept scanning an entire cathedral's main hall to see nothing, I tried to spot anything out of place yet why did my senses scream to flee? Gnashing teeth together I closed both eyes to calm myself by breathing in and out steadily, " _What's wrong? Something's not right, I feel...fear, but what's causing me to panic again? Come on, what's wrong, you can find out if you just calm down."_ Both of my arms slackened as I looked upwards hearing footsteps, I tried to imagine what could cause such things and an image appeared before my very vision. So sudden it struck me I almost gagged as I sank onto both knees physically frail once I got a clear picture.

" _I've seen that armor, blackened and twisted, I saw it back on the ship. It's from my nightmares!"_ Dimly aware in hearing Theresa call out my name in a warning again, I ignored her to focus one exactly an image of something monstrous getting closer, " _How in the feck is this possible! They were just dreams, nightmares and why am I so fecking scared like a grox!"_ Unable to resist I snapped back to reality to see Irene turn a corner as I watched with wide eyes seeming something arise beyond the shadows. My voice died in a trembling gasp of air once I noticed a chilling detail. I couldn't stop an electric cold feeling run up my arms and back to see a pair of eyes standing out. In that three way intersection she couldn't have seen them without turning around.

They were an unnatural bright red, I had to compare it to literal blood. Two orbs gleaming so maliciously just behind a former Elysium drop-trooper who never became aware. A massive hulking like silhouette formed as I watched a person get sliced in twain in a shower of gore. It happened so quickly I watched a former guardswoman's expression shift into a twisted shock and agony as organs spilled out over onto the floor in a misty shower of reddish mist. The weapon seemed to glow an eerily purplish red coloration and along it's length small glowing displays were connected to an arm of sorts, I remained speechless in seeing a person getting cut down without ever having a chance to scream. So quick and refined it create a sense of terror in knowing whatever this newest monstrosity held in store, I knew without a doubt it knew I had seen every excruciating second in a perfected clarity. Also I guessed all too easily I was it's next intended target.

Unknowingly a whisper arose to reach my ears, " _ **Yes, I feel your anguish. Pretend to resist, pretend to pray and use your raw desire to believe I won't claim what I relinquish as mine!"**_ Stepping forward heavily bulky metal came forward to reveal itself, I watched it crush a gasping torso belonging to a person I knew in a bone crushing pulp. Irene's skull caved inwards like a small fruit, I nearly gagged in seeing fresh brain matter splatter across an entire floor. My fists clenched infuriated making knuckles pop loudly as I stared seeing a crimson blackened armor oozing off horrific icons showing what allegiance to an eight pointed stair had done. Bright red pieces looked akin to living flesh, or ripping masses of blood being supported corrupted metal possibly once blessed by the Emperor's light, I couldn't begin to understand a crushing sense of inability to whimper. It seemed like an entire cathedral's presence got washed away by an unholy inhumane pressure as this individual casually started to lick blood off a sword whose size dwarfed myself several times over.

Strapped to an armored hip seemed to be a convoluted weapon akin to a bolter. Except it looked twisted and absolutely horrid in its appearance as numerous carvings in a language I couldn't even dare to imagine it belonged too. Openly trembling I looked upwards to see a tongue lavishly and leisurely wrapping itself around a bloodied blade's edge, I swore it looked like a serpent or whatever it fecking appeared too be! Blackish silk strands of hair pooled over a gap in this corrupted power armor's neck region as reddish orbs carelessly brought themselves to lock onto my fearful expression. An excited serpent called a tongue hissed loudly as it retracted into a mouth surrounded by a pair of dark purple lips curling into an absolutely delighted inhumane action called a smile. Without any doubts clouding an organ called a brain, I swore by the Emperor's light, I witnessed a real fecking monster appearing in human form!

" _ **No matter how hard you resist me child, I will claim what I desire."**_ Those words were whispered so confidently I nearly cried because it seemed so pointless. But I clutched a las-pistol like a life time as I mentally started chanting prayers to the Emperor to make those whispers go away. They weren't gone because I felt my spine tingle in a warning, I knew they weren't gone yet they were being kept at bay as long as I ignored their existence altogether. Honestly if I'd ever admit, I swore my entire body trembled inexplicably once it became clear there wasn't a way to escape, or get the tortured Sororitas to a safe place. Being trapped like a grox to a slaughter house never gave anyone less of a chance to know death wasn't going to be put off any longer.

I instantly recognized a deep purring voice during my time in that vent underground. It's sheer warped blissful nature caused me to shudder dangerously, "By the Dark Prince it's true! You're a real delectable little treat child." Apart from this woman's near orgasmic observation, I cringed when it did little but stir a growing horror in hearing her laugh ever so delighted, "So you're our little eavesdropper my prince so graciously commanded me to apprehend, oh so young and filled with raw potential it's absolutely...tantalizing." Wearing armor increased a sense of helplessness since I had nothing on my person to harm, or even if I could, kill such a monstrosity. I only had a less of a damned useful las-pistol and a pathetic shiv called an excuse of a blade practically screamed suicidal to consider anything other then dying in a fit of frustration! But I couldn't do anything else except to hold what little ground I held in my power.

Although a shotgun possibly might give me more time to live as it seemed likely. Shakily I got to a knee to bring my only means to live across to start loading it. The armored monstrosity merely chuckled lowly as if finding that action absolutely adorable, "Such resistance, I'm impressed as men and woman three times your age have fallen to their knees asking to be enlightened. Yet you refuse to even say a word to me boy, by all means introduce yourself to your new masters, I'm very curious to hear your name." I heard her hungrily demand as I flinched painfully ignoring that command when pressure amounted on both shoulders to enforce an unholy will. However it seemed Theresa realized something as a searing hatred pierced an inhumane feeling bring myself to stare at the armored creature with unfathomable terror.

"You dare you show your face you traitorous bitch! Your very existence shames our order every moment you draw breath, you willingly betrayed our Holy Father, you killed your very sisters to follow the path of heresy and now you dare to have a fowl audacity to command us!" I heard a pure zealous hatred spew into reality to merely make an armored creature laugh cruelly, "Ah I forgot you pitiful virgins to that corpse were still alive. Shame on me to assume otherwise, I guess my sweet dear little convert played around too much. But it's been a long time since I've encountered those under the Order of the Bloody Rose, oh it's been far too long." It mused in a manner to be cruel nostalgia as shapes began to emerge beyond in the depths of a hallway. My eyes went wider in seeing half a dozen forms similar, if not downright unsightly make their way into the light, I noticed two were of the same half clothed creatures conversing with the armored one when I spied upon them earlier.

Six women either dressed in barbaric pieces of armor, or held tattoos on varying states of undress started to cruelly grin. Some had absurd piercings that weren't anything less then what I could say to be painful, a few had branded marks scorched in their skin and all had eight pointed stars ingrained on their foreheads. Yet another detail caused my heart to drop when several among them held similar a tattoo to what Sister Theresa and Anora had below their cheeks. Taking a moment my jaw dropped when it became all too horrifically clear, " _They're heretical Sororitas! But how in the Emperor's name is that possible?"_ My tutors never mentioned such a possibility yet again it'd be due to the fact it had to have been a personal issue to mention. This revelation caused horror to entwine with despair in knowing most of these traitorous heretics held armor I couldn't even dream to scratch, I barely held myself together in knowing half a dozen formed an impossible wall of steel and flesh.

"Mistress may we educate our misguided sister?" One of them requested hungrily as the black haired creature caressed it's blade tenderly, "Patience my dears, patience. Let me secure our main course before digging into appetizers, I intend to fully enjoy what our Prince has given us." Her eyes playfully trailed up my kneeling form almost hungrily as I sneered a scathing retort in making all within this cathedral perk up, "Stick a melta-charge up your ass you fecking bitch." Those reddish orbs narrowed ever so cruelly bemused although it caused laughter to arise in the other warped creatures, I refused to cover regardless if I was to die then it'd be on my terms. Several armored barbaric females idly starting pulling out serrated knives licking the tips to gasp out in what I assumed to be pleasure, or an unrestrained sadistic bliss.

Their forms outlined with a sickly blackened purple as I blinked several times to see it waft upwards like steam. My stomach clenched unconsciously once I breathed in air being tainted by whatever foul atrocities at work, I needed nothing but what little hope to do what was right. Finishing in reloading a fully stocked shotgun I willed myself to get up to offer a shocked Theresa the weapon butt end first, I even pulled out what little spare shells from my pockets. Defending barely alive members of her squad wasn't a bad way to sign my own death warrant really, I honestly couldn't be bothered to say I wasn't brave to know I'd be dead soon. Hatred soon dissolved into a stunned disbelief when her hands hadn't taken a weapon I willingly offered, so I dropped it promptly across her lap. Grimly accepting a real possibility to die I said a few words, "You're more likely a better shot than me, so do what you can and I'll see you by our God Emperor's side Sister Theresa. Thank you for giving strength through our faith, I will never allow fear to rule me and I'll fight until I can't move anymore...so thank you again, I will not lose faith ever again."

Numerous snorts of laughter, or spine tingling giggling met my own words across an entire room. One of the twisted things called a woman with piercings across her lips sneered, "Such blind devotion to a corpse, it's so sweet...it rots my teeth out." Blond hair stained in crimson red matched an overwhelming hatred that I met it with a sneer, "Better devoted then being an ugly bitch of a heretic." That insult caused several of them to laugh openly as if enjoying a prudish banter. Even the blacked power armor user chuckled good naturally while seeing her offended peer to pull a serrated chain sword of sorts, I refused to die like a coward and if infuriating my would be killers proved to kill me quicker, I'd stick with my choices until seeing the end itself.

"A crude child, with a sharp tongue to match raw potential, it's beautiful." I heard the black haired monstrosity muse almost adoringly, "Tell me your name boy! If you do so, I'll make your conversion all ever more pleasurable, I promise on my black little heart." She proclaimed ever so mockingly while pressing an armored gauntlet of a hand over her armored chest matched by a naturally playful expression. I merely rose a middle finger to give a non verbal response making her sigh regretfully yet a smile refused to die, "My, my my. You're a such a naughty little child but alas, I'm always happier seeing children break. I guess we'll have to do it in a really fun way..." Her armored legs moved forward while she hummed a merrily tune of some sorts, "...by breaking you physically, absolutely mentally and of course spiritually as you call out the name of my Dark Prince who will grant you everything. I love children who resist because they're so stubborn." I cringed once I witnessed a serpent like tongue curling outwards to actively start hissing in my direction!

" _Dying in a temple of the Emperor, I guess it could be worse."_ Throne I realized alone that morbid thought rarely did anything except to soothe my fate to know I wasn't getting out of here alive anymore. Unclasping a blade on below my right knee I mentally gave one more prayer, " _To the great father of mankind, I ask you protect those who I will gladly give my life up to defend, I ask you protect them and I ask for nothing in return to be at your side. I walk upon a path in I face the heretic and I shall not cover against a vile darkness which seeks to deny your light, I only wish to see those who I care for to live. Please watch over them."_ Clenching two small pieces of metal, I finally resigned myself to living for as long as possible. More so I held a blade in a reverse grip due to it being a familiar feeling from those times I had hastily scavenge rusted shanks, or crudely designed shivs during those twisted back alley streets back home underneath a twisted reality called a city. Nothing made me happier knowing I'd go down on my own terms.

Keeping a blade's edge tilted I grimly started to move opposite of a monster clad in blacked armor. It's eyes were narrowed hungrily as it's serpent tongue exposed two miniature fangs whilst curled around a dark red near blackened coloration of this sinister blade. Being so close it had a series of tubes filled with a light reddish pink liquid attached to this creature's arm that wielded such a weapon, unfortunately I warily noticed it's edges were serrated to cut through possibly anything. Occasionally it pulsed with a faint crimson glow as I kept a good distance away out of reach while I got stalked by a predatory being. My heart bounded deep within its confines surging blood inside veins as adrenaline circulated to have every movement critically perceived. I felt so tense it hurt to even twitch a finger as a creature across from where I held my ground continuously smiled ever so gleefully entertained.

An armored boot snapped a corpse into pieces as my eyes looked away briefly. Nothing could have prepared me when a blade of that gargantuan size closed the distance in a blurring wail of a warning as I screamed throwing myself to the ground. I rolled away as it slammed into several burned out corpses sending ash to conceal my would be killer long enough to roll out of range. Unable to do anything I desperately aimed to send beams courteously expelled by a pistol where a head would be exposed. Fizzling crackling met an inevitable outcome as corrupted metal ceased any thoughts pertaining to hope once short chuckling became clear. An armored gauntlet effortlessly had blocked those shots as I caught sight of a bemused expression on that monstrosities face. I bared my teeth as a means to show I wouldn't cower before it's gaze.

I almost missed an armored form swiping me into two pieces as I ducked underneath a massive wave of air. " _Emperor's blood! Any closer and I'd have lost my head!"_ Panicking I rolled away as far as I humanely could over corpses of dead, or dying heretical cultists. Blood and flesh clung to what clothing I had as I snarled firing several more shots that were leisurely taken, or blocked by again an armored forearm. Just when I managed to stand a piercing pain almost sent myself onto a bloodied floor, " _ **Do you desire perfection? I'll grant you power beyond your wildest imaginations my sweet little Marcos, I shall grant you perfection to destroy what you seek to kill."**_ I heard a whispering promise originate where I stood against a smiling woman in armor. Her eyes were widening in sheer ecstatic hunger and I gnashed my teeth hard to watch for that next swing. If I took any second to glance away I'd might as well be a dead man walking!

"What's wrong child?" An overly eager armored creature asked deceptively innocent which made her appearance ever so gruesome, "You look so distracted, I wonder what you're hearing now?" I snarled reflexively diving desperately mad to stay out of reach from a darkened crimson blade whose pulsating form got a bit brighter. Small transparent cylinders above an arm where it got wielded injected themselves causing its owner to gasp out in sheer relief, or was it a natural bliss? Literally my mind couldn't decide as another wave of agony forced me down with an armored beast of a woman slowly taking it an easy prey. Her gaze alone stopped any effort to move cause my own legs to go rigid once these damnable whispers overturned a thing called sanity.

" _ **Will you say my name and embrace perfection? Embrace me as your lover, as your mother and I shall grant you what you need to achieve power to kill what you seek to destroy, I desire what I clam to be mine when you say this name of your ascent to perfection!"**_ Tormented I gagged in experiencing waves of uncontrollable nausea as I tried to ignore an urge to say a word I never knew existed. That urge became so powerful I needed to do something to ignore it, or rather damned well do anything to banish it away. Moving sluggishly I collapsed onto several scorched corpses in order to slam my forehead into the ground. A spiking flash of whitish hot fire worked as one pain eclipsed another in a bid of desperation. For those troubles I weakly blinked feeling hot liquid trailing past the left side of my face, dumbly I couldn't help save to glance downwards to see reddish droplets signifying blood being spilled.

A mimicked cooing sound of disappointment entered my senses, "Oh so close! So very close, I can finally sense what my Dark Prince has brought before me!" Hulking steps managed to shake myself to the core as I refused to reply when a shadow overtook where I knelt. Petrified by an inhumane will, or perhaps froze by forces beyond my understanding I barely had enough strength to glare upwards hating what I witnessed. One serrated tip lazily sliced a thin reddish line underneath my own cheek as it's owner playfully toyed with its literal prey, "You'll be an excellent addition to our little band of followers and bring about enlightenment to our god, the Dark Prince. Embrace your perfection and learn of eternal pleasures in his name..." She trailed off licking her lips absolutely devoid of any emotion that could be stated as humane, or remotely natural to say the least. They weren't going to kill me yet I refused to give in because of mere fecking words!

Slowly bringing a pistol at an angle I merely shook my head in an effort to remain sane. I shuddered as an armored woman knelt down smiling ever so cruelly, "If don't say our Dark Prince's name..." Her reddish pupils merely needed to look amusingly over towards Theresa whose expression looked beyond pained in seeing myself struggle. Warm breathes of air next to an ear sent shivers betraying what I felt up my spine, "...I'll make you watch in total agony as we have our ways with your _precious_ sisters of that corpse Emperor. My merry band is eager to have their _fun_ with them." It promised me sweetly as a faint dripping sensation announced a return of blood leaking outwards. Maintaining eye contact with one meager las-pistol gave me purpose to angle it upwards as I slowly came to realize I had an opening to exploit.

In the end I looked right into an eyes of a monster without flinching. Words held power yet I refused to lose what little will I held to remain defiant, "Emperor take your wretched soul and burn it when you see him you ugly fecking bitch." I screamed pulling a trigger as many times I'd be able to manage point blank to hear flesh sizzling. Due to how close the armored woman knelt I knew I'd landed several bolts of energy underneath her jaw, I kept squeezing a trigger until my world went vertigo. One moment I found myself staring into an enraged set of reddish orbs and in that next second I got sent flying across the room smashing back first into a solid granite wall. Distinctly I heard a prominent crack or two once I landed face first on a pile of burnt out corpses, I practically gagged on ashy flesh with my mouth stretched vertically into a long drawn out silent scream and by the Emperor himself, I started to shriek like a person damned in fire.

Curling into a ball created some leeway to scream in a controlled manner. However my arm refused to move when liquid fire practically ate away as I blinked tears to see what happened. An entire forearm shattered in two different places along with several fingers clearly crooked at angles gave no room to understand a literal destroyed limb. Small tremors unintentionally forced my feet to slam into the floor trying to desperately to cope with injuries I never dared to imagine. Yet all that commotion caused a symphony of cheering laughs as if these heretical monsters were getting off on my efforts to just remain screaming. Struggling to stand physically was impossible due to my own left foot sharply bent at an angle, I dimly made a connection in seeing white splinters sticking outwards and in one swift moment I had effortlessly become a helpless target.

Plated armored steps stopped directly next to my skull, "Oh your screams are absolutely beautiful boy! Absolutely wonderful!" All my efforts to cease screaming simmered down into tightly control growls and even then tears were freely falling to taste a salty after effect. A shadow belonging to one massive gauntlet casually brought itself down, it's owner hoisted myself upwards effortlessly, even when I tried to struggle feebly against it. Soon enough I got slammed into a wall creating wave of pressure in my lung spewing out liquid to stain a monster's breast plate. Coughing violently I never watched an armored thumb again casually push my chin to see an extremely delighted expression. Throne of Terra I couldn't even manage enough strength to kick in futile a resistance against this monster's touch yet I barely managed to wheeze in air to stay alive!

"Such a naughty child you are, I offered a painless conversion. But like all children you always have to be..." Her black hair actually brush against my tear stained face while leaning forward as if sharing an actual secret with me, "...disciplined." One word whispered so lowly it triggered a disgusting tongue of a serpent worming its way eagerly towards my own neck, I even felt it's coated scales slick with liquids I dared not imagine their origins. It retracted as I heard an overly gleeful promise make my eyes go wide with an unfiltered terror, "Now you and I get to have a front row seat to a pleasurable show. Have your fun with those _maidens_ my dear servants, I ask you give our soon to be child a practical lesson to be remembered." Half a dozen laughs of inexplicable joy were given upon those orders and a sense of wild abandonment greeted my bloodied hearing as I built up what little saliva, or blood to give one last effort to resist.

Cracking open both eyelids to see an inhumane grin I spat a huge glob of reddish liquid directly into this person's face. I expected to die right then and there yet no such reaction came around. Hissing painfully I managed let loose a sneering promise, "Fecking do it ugly bitch...I swore I won't turn away from the Emperor's light, save yourself some trouble and go feck a grox!" Unable to control myself, due to a massive influx of nerves overloading, it became all too clear! Being so helpless I started laughing lowly while shaking my head left to right ready to embrace an end to what I knew as living. I waited for one crushing sensation and a blinding darkness, I kept on waiting until a minute passed without meaning, " _By the Emperor what else do I have to do to anger this damned thing to fecking kill me!"_

Dangling literally a full meter or so in the air provided little support in a bodily function to breathe in air. Soon enough I got face to face with a woman whose appearance increased my ability to feel terror in new extremes, "Your mouth is quite a blade isn't it?" It asked me rhetorically amused when an overly crushing pressure increased it's existence in making my lungs gasp for what little oxygen to remain alive, "Children are always so troublesome to speak too, they always _struggle_ when it's clearly impossible to not do so." Her serrated blade pulsated momentarily drenching what little of a space between us in an eerily crimson glow as I watched with a growing horror see two separate pupils narrowing ever so my chest burned with a need to breathe more air which I couldn't resist an impulse to gag for oxygen.

Once I exposed myself a serpent tongue lashed outwards tunneling down my throat! Pain I'd once knew as a tolerance had been shattered, I cried out begging to die an utterly disgusting terror seemingly overran whatever I held to be resisting to whatever hellish whispers that slowly killed my ability to live. Literally something not natural of reality mercilessly tunneled itself way where I felt it next to my own damned bleeding heart! I couldn't stop screaming in a gurgling guttural shriek as beneath flesh I swore this serpent only retracted once I almost suffocated! Pressure beyond anything I'd ever imagined nearly crushed a means to live, I screamed in a gurgling rasp feverishly kicking or punching with whatever limb responded to my brain's pitiful attempt to break free. My vision blurred into a watery mix of colors as distant sounds akin to a shotgun shooting barely kept me conscious.

In a daze I thought I heard a delighted hum of approval, "Healthy hearts are very rare treats. They provide sustenance when consumed by those seeking a good meal." Clutching in a vain attempt to pry armored fingers apart, I practically started to suffocate as time continued unhindered. The monstrosity in armor purred to whisper right into my ear, "You think I'm going to end your suffering child? Mercy is for those who are weak and I intend to prolong your intangible anguish until it becomes your greatest pleasure, so let's begin by watching a show together." I gasped for desperate needed oxygen as it became apparent I'd been carried to get sent to a bloodied and corpse infested floor. Coughing violently in ash and flesh I barely had time to consider until a massive weight pressed upon the base of my spine. Blood mixed with saliva practically tore past my lips to streak across a floor filled with death and carnage.

A hand grasped an entirety of my skull to force both eyes forward. I snarled weakly as I watched Sister Theresa barely have any chance to defend herself. I witnessed shells ejected rapidly to drive back a small group of overly excited fallen Sororitas. It made sense in how her hatred for them sounded absolutely genuine and one of their faces got shredded when trying to rush a downed person whose weapon had been fully loaded. " _Please God Emperor, I beg you to lend us your strength! Please don't allow them to defile those who protect your Imperium!"_ Prayer after prayer shifted a rage so hot I started futilely to crawl towards those who I refused to allow to die. My mind burst into wild abandonment to literally snarl like an animal akin to those I'd seen in the under-city when I scavenged for food. Clawing for anything as leverage I heard chuckling as an armored foot merely dug itself further to stop me dead cold.

Theresa got overwhelmed in mere moments when three bodies jumped her to wrestle the weapon away. Knives began brandishing themselves in their owners hands as screams of hatred quickly turned into barely tangible roars of pain. They were carving her up like some damned grox to a slaughter, Throne be damned into the warp as I screamed in an infuriating bid trying to claw to help a person who I considered a mentor and friend! The monster keeping me physically pinned under it's foot merely mused conversationally, "Well it seems I better beg to our Dark Prince in hoping my followers understand patience, if they start cutting too deeply it won't last as long, such devoted eagerness I'm afraid is too much to expect." Gnashing both teeth I strained to glare beyond any natural means of hate to influence a smile which grew once an armored woman felt it's potency. She enjoyed every damnable second as I desperately wanted to burn her alive for watching a vile barbarity.

Before she, or I said a word a piercing pain swiftly brought upon more whispers. Unlike previously when I heard it trying to entice me to say a word I knew would spell my doom in damnation, I suddenly realized they were jeering openly, " _ **Is your pain making you desire power?**_ _**My lovely champion is perfection incarnate, cruelty is an art constantly being perfected, an appearance beautiful and ultimately regally eye catching but what about you?"**_ It persisted gloating as I kept gnashing my teeth together to avoid replying yet seeing Sister Theresa being literally tortured towards her death burned away what sanity to bare with such helplessness. An inferno of heat surged when I exhaled heavily witnessing small wisps of steam when tremors wracked internally, I needed to do something or anything to stop this twisted reality called a nightmare.

Naturally I screamed indignantly feeling another wave of spiking agony ripple across my back as it originated where sanity went into short supply all too easily, _"I'll kill you!"_ My promise so potent it caused faint giggling creating an insufferable tolerance, " _You hear me! I swear it! I swear by the Emperor himself I'll kill you personally bitch...I'LL KILL ALL YOU FECKING SICK BASTARDS!"_ Roaring in pure fury incarnate I mentally willed one good fist clenching so hard I knew it cracked bones within. These heretical creatures called animals were bringing half conscious sisters to their knees before cutting into their faces, I heard shrieks when one of their iconic tattoos was getting cut off like in a sick display of joy. What did I need to do to see these sick feckers to die? What more did I need to give to see them all burn before the God-Emperor's judgment to burn their vile flesh and souls alike?

" _ **If you speak my name and embrace me, to attain perfection of power then I'll offer you a boon to save your precious friends."**_ Unintentionally without question both my own eyes went wide once I heard a clear answer shrouded in giggling. Hesitantly I shifted looking over to an arm broken in several places, I had nothing to give and over towards an open palm where blood had broken through flesh showing enraged I had become now. That whispering voice spoke again, " ** _Say the name of your Dark Prince as I shall grant you perfected power to save your dear friends, I offer a boon to you Marcos Eius, so speak my name."_** Blinking away tears I looked upwards to see a particularly covered shadow of the God-Emperor yet a familiar image appeared between myself and the sisters being tortured ever so thoroughly. Almost like a fading outline at a distance it slowly came into full clarity as I had seen it below in the tunnels earlier in that day.

At first rich lively blond hair stood out followed by a fair face absolutely so beautiful that anyone could tell it wasn't natural. Amethyst colored eyes glinted eagerly while looking down with an innocent smile that swept away all previous pain or agonies I had endured in an instant. Unwillingly my gaze refused to tear away when a pair lips lined in a dark red coat widened as a velvet vest appeared marred in golden trinkets. There had to be dozens of alien like symbols attached to this being's person and it's cloth must have been a make I could scarcely imagine to be any less then to be considered as wealthy. Pieces plated armor covered a particularly exposed chest as it knelt down giving a perfected view in it offering a hand. Jewelery sparkled effortless aligned on fingers with nails polished an entrancing purple as I gagged on air literally watching a half faded limb extend itself forward if it were going to get me onto my feet.

" _No, no...go away! Begone!"_ Silently demanding it as a gently deceptive harmonious giggle seemingly slithered through my ears, " _ **Don't be frightened. Say your Dark Prince's name, if you do so now, I'll grant you power and a boon to save your precious friends."**_ My terror merely grew once a hand started to move on its own as I cried out angrily trying to stop it inching forward. Small tingles were preceded when an unworldly pulling sensation manifested to inch a limb, one I clearly knew and desperately willed to remain still, it practically went against every natural warning to refuse this daemonic creature called a lie! Every muscle betrayed my will once I managed to stop myself yet it triggered violent spasms conflicting continuously to threatened all effort to resist moving forward towards a smiling daemon.

"Do you hear it boy?" I heard a blackened armored woman's voice gleefully reached a bloodied ear as her foot crushed nearly half of my body, "Our great prince is calling to us! That pitiful corpse sitting silently on it's throne can never become a true a god, a real god who answers your prayers and guides us as his faithful to perfected power, now don't pretend to be an ignorant child. I know you can hear our Dark Prince's words, praise his name because I feel his presence among us even now!" Giggling seemingly could be heard around myself when I struggled to hear it clearly, truthfully I pegged it's sound as if it were coming across a great distance. Reality practically started to waver when constantly shaking to rid myself of a weight forcing my head towards the floor.

" _I won't turn away from the Emperor's light, I will not..."_ Those words were cut off immediately when a cooing laughter surged forth, " _ **Yes you will mortal."**_ So confident in it's assurance I coughed up blood to wheeze in oxygen to remain awake, " ** _I never fail to claim what I seek is mine! You look so tasty, I'm really going to enjoy eating you up like a treat, but to save your precious friends you must say my name. Embrace perfection to attain power and I shall grant you a boon."_** Exhausted I found those words ever so promising when an urge to sleep started to make its known. Absently licking dried lips in order to relieve a sore throat due to numerous screams, I started to allow all of my body to slacken in hearing harmonious laughter being supported by clapping? I swore it's what it sounded like as my eyes flickered to see that daemonic image kneeling not even a few feet away.

That unworldly beautiful smile appeared to grow ever so kindly with its fair hand outstretched in a supportive gesture. My heart beat soundly once I realized where my own remained in an iron clasped ball yet why I was struggling so much? Wordlessly it replied to an unspoken question brewing beneath a crumbling resistance, " _ **You'll be given power, I've even provide you a personal boon to what you seek to destroy. Take my hand and speak the name of your Dark Prince, I shall embrace you as a lover, as a mother and I will bring your perfection for destruction to protect your friends, Marcos Eius."**_ Why did those words sound truthful as I numbly swallowed what little thought to look up into a pair of glinting amethyst pupils. They were compelling a hand to unclasp itself as fits of spasms suddenly were nullified as I contemplated an offer to save Sister Theresa and to destroy an armored bitch who would burn!

" _Power to kill...no, it's wrong...but I won't let these Sisters die."_ A clasped fist unraveled when I believed those words straight into my heart. Warnings be damned beyond sanity to which I snarled trying to get up to stand. Laughter flooded both ears as its originator held a pleased expression and those eyes narrowed in an absolute hunger, " _ **Say your Dark Prince's name." Clumsily**_ I failed slurring in pronouncing a skewered sound of a word which just seemed out of memory's reach. Now I dared to imagine I knew it yet I might as well tried to remember years ago to remember it. Like a crushing weight slamming myself down again and again, a reprieve came when syllables formed in that cavern called a brain, sharply I gasped when a weight called helplessness lifted itself as something inaudibly akin to strength ascended.

That crushing pressure barring down onto my spine practically lifted itself along with a series of gleeful laughs. Briefly memorized an unspeakable beauty all will ceased to resist once I began breathing more naturally. Pain vanished as I whispered tiredly, "Your name...your name is..." Blinking stupefied my throat clenched inwards when I trying to figure an answer I knew for sure, I knew without question I had no knowledge previously yet it an answer came so naturally in a surreal sense pegged to be genuine disbelief. Bloodied vomit shot out to empty what little my guts could stand, why was I feeling so disgusted and sick when it became too painful to croak a word. Rasping out pieces of bloodied flesh barely prevented a last mind crushing doom of an answer.

"Go on and speak our Dark Prince's name my soon to be...disciple." An overly excited voice stated proudly as I managed to collapse against charred corpses. " _Will you give me power to kill this ugly fecking bitch behind me and to save my friends?"_ Simply saying those questions without even considering why, I knew it triggered a clear answer with an uncontrollable giggling, " _ **Yes, I will. Say my name child."**_ It ordered lowly sealing a sense of finality making my eyes start to close once everything came to a peak. Inhaling deeply I used what little strength to stare upwards to see a hand reaching out as if to stoke my bloodied face. Those never ending amethyst pair of eyes were obviously so pleased to see I gave heed to it's utter satisfaction. My rapidly beating heart practically exploded beneath sweating flesh once an answer clicked into place, it felt ever so simply natural, but honestly I swore it'd been unlocked.

Nerves tingling in electrified warnings went ignored by my lack of activity. Why couldn't I say anything but yes to that harmless smile? In a fit of sheer disbelief I gave a trembling grin starting directly into those eyes, I swore what weight I felt disappeared in a fleeting moment. Swaying briefly I lifted my only capable limb to have it extending outwards, I willingly allowed myself to reach towards a blond entity who own limb seemed to grow solid. Out of sight and out of reach an answer clicked into my mind, "Your name is Sl..." Whatever word tried to form into a verbal damnation got cut short when a flash orange consumed an entire wall and I distantly recognized being blasted away slamming into a solid object called a granite wall. In one blistering snap of an action, I understood reality and it's cruel irony when I sworn to never to turn away from my Emperor's light, but I morbidly realized I had nearly damned myself to suffer as a forsaken heretic.

 **End Chapter Eight**

 **Author's Note:** It's been awhile since I touched upon this story, I must apologize but playing enough Dawn of War got my mind working overtime. The lack of reviews are rather disturbing yet I still love Warhammer 40K to put a fair amount of effort to make it a decent read. A few things pertaining to what this story's goal is technically: To show how an Inquisitor in the Warhammer 40K rises from the bottom of the barrel in terms of rank, our character as a conscripted acolyte who will ascend possibly, or not, into what we see as a full fledged Daemon Hunter. I intend to make this a rather lengthy story to go through several ARC's pertaining to several antagonists which will influence how our character becomes something...not as kind.

I can't say for certain if it's all cliché, but I try not to paint it so obvious. Details and first person really show what forces we can imagine are at work. Some have pointed out and asked, ' _Daemons don't say their names to mortals, because it can control them.'_ Of course that's stated in the lore and fluff respectively, but what about the Chaos Gods themselves? Come on if you don't know who or what had been conversing with an unsanctioned, an unbounded and a very recently awakened pskyer, I think I gave ample opportunity to clearly state who it is. Pskyers generally as a rule of thumb, I can cite plenty of examples in fluff/lore to say without a doubt they see and perceives numerous things so differently from any normal person in Warhammer 40K would realize.

If you've ever heard that terminology as: ' _Whispers of Chaos'._ To which are vague and frustratingly abstract when one study's its influences. It seems clear you can make an argument its both metaphorical and literal, least to Psykers who draw power from the warp when properly trained, our dear child acolyte is not. Now I'm sure many of you are possibly 'sighing' at how stupidly naive Marcos is, well that's my entire point when starting off from a base personality, realistically he's untrained and incredibly childish in any sense of not realizing there's dangers far beyond what he'd be able to imagine as nightmares. Notice how quickly this particular Chaos God's whispers penetrated a mind which can be said to be an open book, to anything capable of reading minds and how it persistently managed to pull at mortal coils pertaining to the soul for a conversation? In my eyes if you say the name of the Four Chaos Gods (Not including Malal, Malice, or whatever he's called) it invokes an open window when say their names to cause corruption.

Let's face it: fact he got through a city and before that an enclave of a cult, both settings relatively unscathed, you and I can agree it's a God-Emperor's blessing. Yet you can again make an argument he's trying to be a hero, so what to know what makes a Hero in Warhammer 40k, in my humble opinion mind you? I'll give a short list for all respective opinions: Being a Hero requires a strong border lined suicidal to over come massive odds, a hero needs a mentality to never give in regardless of physical states to stand by their faith, if you're a Psyker you need power and absolute control to fight creatures who can alter reality beyond the veil into a lovely placed call an Immaterium and my person favorite combination: a hell of a lot of luck to hold together guts of steel.

It's not truly impossible to be a hero, or create a hero in Warhammer 40K without going into unworldly feats that many people couldn't even hope to light a candle too. It's just absolutely damned well difficult when you see a few figures who stand on that pedestal when they're not suited up in Power Armor or have a thing called a gene-seed, don't get me wrong I know regular humans have their fair share in individuals yet it's not as often to now them by name. Unless you're a bad-ass called Commissar Yarrick (Sebastian Vaarden) which even scores of normally battle gripped Green Skins believe he's a mechanical beast to fight one of the most absolute craziest, or damn well best Warboss's/Overlord as Ghazghkull Thraka. I'm a big fan boy of the Imperial Guard and I say hell to the no with that 'Astra Militarum' disgusting name change, it's still the Guard and I damn well will call it by as such.

I apologize if I went off track! I'm still debating whether going to Armageddon in seeing one of those character is going to worth a lot of pain and agony to make it appear natural. But back to what happened in this chapter, who is that woman in blackened armor, well it's pretty damned clear considering I do enjoy mixing together a potential zealous contradiction with Sisters of Battle and a psyker who they'd normally persecute per say. Adds more of a realistic sense considering some Adeptas Sorroritas are real by hardcore by the book fanatics, but they're human, so I'm sure there's a few moderate fanatics around. Case in point Marcos only being a child, an untrained psyker aside they can tolerate it and to boot he's an eager mind to learn their ways. So it luckily gives his presence to them a more civil' consideration based upon their views, also yeah I do like looking up older Characters who aren't used as often.

So what happens next chapter? The conclusion to our character's first trial by fire and in time I'll be trying to incorporate more psyker battles, or rather try to use more blatant feats of power. But progress is slow, I like taking my time yet I hope my explanations do solve some head scratching moments. There's just a lot of lore and an entire universe to cover, I mean I haven't even touched Eldar, Orkz or Tau which have so many possibilities to really mess around to make a decent story. I wish you all a good day, leave a review and I'll post an update when I can.


	10. Chapter IX

**The Inquisitor**

 **Chapter Nine**

The prominent smell of burning, or charred flesh had finally managed to get myself stirring. Human flesh as I understood, I swore it wasn't ever supposed to smell good, gritting angrily I coughed loudly trying while regaining awareness. Cautiously when I began moving in a daze I had forgotten something very obvious. Movement alone triggered a sharp blinding pain when nerves had tried to force broken bones to move, " _Throne! Dumb idea, real dumb fecking idea!"_ Stiffing an overly zealous yelp barely managed to describe myself trying sluggishly to use an elbow and one leg in a poor effort in struggling sitting up. Due to being pressed up against charred corpse I reflexively spat out ash and burnt strips of flesh with an aftertaste so fowl I gagged naturally it'd been a futile effort in trying to get rid of it's presence altogether.

Swaying considerably took an effort to look up into seeing a pale orange light streaking through clouds of dust. Distant rumbles of thunderous booms echoed past an ever fearsome penetrated wall belonging to the Emperor's divinity, I blinked unable to comprehend when I heard a shrieking swoop rushing beyond that wall to the outside. Slowly snapping from a daze when huge swaying gusts of wind stirred up even more dirt and loose debris to obscure an orb of yellowish light into an ever gloomy eerie sickly orange. Coughing violently as fresh memories of what invaded me personally sent waves of disgust to encourage myself to prop against an undamaged statue of the God Emperor. When I moved I clamped down rigidly avoiding an ear piercing shriek when I noticed a sharply broken ankle, " _If I wasn't feeling agony before I swear it's clear. Broken ankle got worse during that...explosion."_ Seething I bit down on my own tongue while damn well clumsily in sitting back to a solid surface, soon I felt warm salty droplets to literal liquid tears running down both cheeks as I became aware all these efforts were to just breathe naturally.

Huge pieces of granite and steel fell yet figures were moving through a wall of dust. They had to be apart of these heretics I rapidly rationalized while fumbling around for anything close in order to defend myself. Grasping a suitable piece of jagged granite I gripped it tightly waiting to lash out when those damned animals got closer. Ironically bravery served to remind myself of fear, so I braced myself zealously to see the God Emperor and snarled furiously ready to smash any skull into pieces. "Come on for Emperor's sake, come on you bastard feckers!" Saying those words heaving in several lungfuls of floating dust made my voice sound hoarser. It seriously hurt to speak words yet openly I trembled hearing stones being crushed by thudding steps as I saw a massive armored silhouette accelerating an organ called my heart.

" **Marcos**!" Safe to say I never expected it to speak my name when a familiar coloration of power armor belonging to Sister Anora appeared like a dream! An enclosed helmet's visor glowed due to inner mechanisms providing sight for her to see my broken state. Shame filled itself to subdue fear, "Bless Saint Alicia and our God-Emperor, bless them both for you're a sight for sore eyes Sister Anora!" I grimly laughed in disbelief when dozens of sharp crackling streams of orange erupted behind. Screams not of pleasure and indignant screeches of shocked surprise were met when a dozen or so uniformed soldiers, belonging to Inquisitorial Storm Troopers fearlessly flooded past a breach, coughing lightly in shock when noticing they were also supporting other armored Sororitas who had fled earlier. They were clearly shouting several litanies I barely understood to burn these damned heretics along with a score of bolter weaponry discharging zealously.

Snarling I hastily jerked my chin towards where the other surviving Sororitas were hopefully alive. Quickly my words were barely heard over a newly minted firefight, "Sister Theresa and the others who survived are up over there! God Emperor willing I beg you, you have to save her Anora, I tried damn it! Please I...I saw them do it, feck they started cutting her up when I tried to stop them..." An explosion belonging to thrown grenades went off a few meters behind Anora's crouched form occasionally striking metallic surfaces. Flecks of metal stung my cheek despite seeing her armored gauntlets being occupied by a familiar blessed chain sword I had seen her instruct me how to bless along with a freshly smoking bolt-pistol. My own reflection peered through greenish glass of a visor as she nodded briefly taking in that newly acquired critical information.

" **Understood, I'll back for you!** " She promised me through a helmet which couldn't hide concern as I weakly shrugged one good shoulder, "Not like I can get far. Please make sure they're alive, since I can't even walk!" An oddly angled limb resembling a human foot caught my instructor's attention before she stood up lightly tapping one non broken arm with warmed pistol, " **You're a stupid child for risking your life for myself and my sisters Marcos...** " The projected vocalize inside her helmet couldn't hide her relieved tone as I laughed painfully aware how similar Anora sounded to the elder Sororitas when I found her, "... **but bless the great Father of mankind for your faith. Stay strong and keep out of sight!** " Struggling to remain upright I made a lone small symbol representing a wing of aquila to show an answer. So within moments once she nodded I saw her move inhumanely quick just as she kept firing a bolt pistol allow shells to clink near a broke ankle causing screams to escalate beyond in the cathedral.

" _Thank you my Emperor, thank you."_ Mentally praising this breath of relief to stop a nightmare called reality. Wetting dried lips I witnessed sharp cracks of over charged las-weapons striking several larger figures and I started enjoying a brutal savage satisfaction in seeing these barbaric heretics being gunned down. It seemed the troopers from the ship orbiting above were expertly avoiding enemy fire, or diving to get lower profiles to shoot masterfully at vague figures I couldn't tell who, or what they were initially. Panting I gripped a jagged rock as a life line praying feverishly to get off this world and allow the great Father of mankind to burn these bastards alive. Hopefully in time dared I imagine these remaining Sororitas would zealously cleanse out those damned animals, I'd personally view that justice through a retribution most accepted as a holy fire.

Laying back against a wall I absently spat out a mess of dirt clearing my throat of annoyances. I peered through a cloud concealing fight fights and possibly other forms merging in bloodied close quarters combat as metal clashed together. Anxiety coursed through veins with adrenaline keeping both eyes alert for anyone not considerably human, I couldn't shake off another cold feeling running up a thing I had as a spinal cord. Heavy plated footsteps grew closer once it became apparently obvious, I started to literally bare both teeth when I heard a mind scarring sound akin to flesh being ripped apart! Sharp audible cracks were bones being broken like thin scraps, I lifted my crude jagged weapon once a massive shape twisted to turn towards my location. I immediately realized it wasn't Anora or anyone I knew because a snap pain practically split open my skull!

That damnable giggling called a warped version of whispering returned, " _ **I will not be denied what I claim is mine, boy.**_ " Whimpering internally I literally hyperventilated once a pair of gleaming red eyes made themselves very clear in their intent of malice. Twisted vile icons of a heretical monstrosity belonging to a blackened carapace power armor became very clear. Frightened by a purring creature whose actions in chastising me seemed utterly bemused, "You naughty, naughty little boy. Don't expect crawling away will be enough to make my Dark Prince, or I forget about you because of some party crashers." Her pupils gleamed brightly showing off their malicious intent which increased a painful spike wedging further into my head. I swore silently that this damnable monstrosity surpassed what I witnessed as nightmarish back in my old hive city of a home.

"You will burn." I said those words righteously sneering trying to hide a fact I had nothing but a rock to defend myself. Those pupils narrowed effortlessly amused before glancing over to the side, I noticed a uniformed trooper crouching as if trying to get a shot on my armored nightmare. No such thing as hope became known when an arm casually lifted a warped bolter to fire tearing a man into screaming pieces of sputtering crimson. Reddish smoke idly wafted from a freshly used barrel as its owner spoke mildly intrigued, "No more then you yourself my soon to be disciple. You were _so_ close to saying our Dark Prince that I almost cried out in ecstasy." Gathering what little saliva I could muster it formed a projectile struck this insane atrocity called a creature. An inhumane smile grew while its firearm came to rest against that armored hip ever so arrogantly.

Snapping cracks and flesh being torn asunder enveloped an ever chaotic cathedral. As previously I screamed as hot agonizing signals alerting in a nervous system of a massive armored gauntlet came to snatch a limb. One semi broken foot became a storm of needless torment when I screeched being dragged with a flopping arm getting snared up in burnt corpses, " _STOP, NO! GOD EMPEROR PLEASE NO MORE!"_ Screaming gruelingly tore through my raw throat as I heard the monstrosity dragging me comment ever so lovely, "Oh these sounds you make child are second to none! I haven't been this ecstatic since I listened to that self-driven pompous thing of a man trying to grasp those intestines of his for hours on end..." Wildly consumed by bones snapping within a crushed leg I screamed punching or throwing whatever a singular palm could grasp as it barely effected a torture I couldn't escape, "...oh yes! Those were such wonderful days in that city yet I dare say you're going to be my next favorite child!"

The armored creature hummed merrily while moving towards the doorway where two hidden figures were waiting happily. Through blistering tears I noticed in a growing horror two similar monsters were in appearance eerily chuckle noticing my gaze. They wore akin warped blackened armor painted, I strained to see shapes formed entwined with purplish icons yet I wouldn't begin to imagine, or dare to understand in an unworldly agonized existence. One purring voice idly clapped a pair of armored hands cruelly enjoying a feeling called blistering agony, "And what is this? Beautiful pleasure my Mistress, or another toy for us to play with perhaps?" Chuckles of gleeful anticipation was met when I got dragged past them with their hulking forms following a more terrifying monster, "Oh no, no no!" It all but sang happily making the two tilt their heads mystified yet their eyes glowing akin to reddish pupils I just knew were coyly playful.

Now I roared in sheer humiliation along with a desperation to have anyone hear me! Shadows of internal pillars shrouded myself in an endless pit of hopelessness to never see the next day. I almost want to bite my tongue off to drown in my blood before being taken, "You should expect a new brother to guide my fellow sisters. In our quest for perfection towards our Dark Prince, it is he who has given me a most delightful _disciple_ who will become my greatest instrument for perfection. As you can see..." Her hand tightened to naturally cause audible cracks muffled under flesh yet for myself I shrieked feeling an almost mind shattering sensation called pain, "...I haven't be able to stop listening to such wonderful noise! But his eyes show me such raw potential it'd be a travesty in _ignoring_ such a blessed gift offered by our Prince." Heaving in air managed to dispel hoarse attempts in scream due to overly taxed throat which hurt to regardless of what I perceived as relief. Pain practically overran what nerves to overload my mind to numbly gasp for air to make it stop.

" _No more, please God Empeor! Please make it stop, I can't stand it anymore...Throne, I'd rather die then live at these monster's whims anymore!"_ Silently I begged to die in a hopeless prayer once it became perfectly clear no living soul had heard my screams. Facing a prospect living in an undeniable hellish existence wasn't going to fecking be anything merciful to ever call it living! Thoughts flew by in an overwhelming surge of sickness when it tempted a process start biting off my own damned tongue to drown myself in blood! Between consider that course of action, or save myself years of body crushing torture I knew it'd be all too easily clear!

An obviously bone shattered arm continuously got dragged keeping a sense of reality in check. Snarling in pure damnation I managed to lunge upwards to wildly start smacking my captors armor with a jagged rock! Chuckling greeted an effort to have a false hope to get away, "Quite a lively one isn't he?" Two glinting reddish pupils stared intently intrigued as I spat futility signifying what I thought about that creature's observation. In response to both my actions and what was stated, I barely had a moment before a broken arm got crushed again! A blackened armored gauntlet casually slammed me against a statue of the Emperor and soon screams filled an endless void called silence. Pure unaltered laughter became so genuine, I nearly bit down on my tongue to fecking end this retched existence.

"Did you accomplish your task?" One looming monster asked ever so merrily making my eyes almost spill out bloodied tears as I rasped in air. I nearly drowned out their words with my own hoarse shrieks of agony, "All our acquired ordinance is active and merely awaiting your orders Mistress, I'm very eager to show case our ascension to enlighten our second world." A faint glowing emitted between clutched armored digits when a palm innocently revealed some sort of large detonator as I managed to glimpse something before being violently flung into another wall nearly shattering another arm. It horrifically occurred to me these creatures in armor were just playing with their would be food, or prisoner. Absorbing all the sheer force alone practically sent bloodied globs spewing onto an already desecrated tiled floor.

" _Please let me die, please God-Emperor I don't dare to think...no, I don't want to live in a fecking nightmare."_ Begging anything hearing prayers seemed absolutely maddening once it I understood my own intentions. Dying by the hands of monsters wasn't going to happen if they had their way, or converted me away from the Emperor's light! Coughing loudly to naturally clear out fleshy chunks of saliva and blood proved to make these armored creatures coo out delightfully cruel. Somehow I managed to clutch a jagged piece of granite which miraculously kept a natural shape to be usable yet I felt myself going limp to just feel everything slip away. Seconds mindlessly trickled on by once I grimly parted both lips to resolve myself to a bloodied end.

Dying by own hand seemed so damned cowardly, I smiled since it wasn't even the worst. When faced with a tortuous fate by heretics who seemed clear to break bones and shatter whatever sanity I had became that comparison. Lightly angling both jawlines in preparation seemingly made things easier once I got dragged down a few stairs to see an ugly orange sky. This entire world seemed destined to be burned under madness and warped monstrosities spawning an overwhelming sense of finality that nothing was worth living. Raw dirt scratched behind the bare nape of my neck to signal if I wasted anymore time then I'd be a hellish imagination to fecking contend with! Smiling towards a rotting sky with what little tears in reserve, I knew what needed to done, so I started to breathing in deeply preparing myself mentally to die by own bloodied suffocation.

They stopped dragging me finally when I looked up grimly to see a once holy cathedral literally burning. Statues of varying Sororitas were on both sides surrounded by bloodied grassy graves and scorched in darkened patches along with limbs were thrown around. I numbly noticed corpses arch over once vibrant green shrubs as many had their eyes gouged out, or several had bled out small ponds worth of crimson. In fact due to being so close towards the dirt, I almost wanted to laugh realizing that all the spilled blood during an entire day had made all into a muddied patch! The damned earth was so soaked in blood of loyal citizens to the Imperium and all were likely followers of our God Emperor, I practically saw on an eye level prints. They actually were deepened impressions indicating an agonizing frenzy to stay live from those who were dead! Taking one last breath I merely stared upwards into a dying sky above a world to clamp down on an effort to die on my terms.

Trembling I opened my jaws as naturally wide as they could ever hope to achieve. Hesitation briefly stopped reason yet I gave one last prayer before understanding I'd gag on my own blood. Clenching a jagged rock kept myself aware, " _Forgive your weakened son, forgive his cowardice in taking his own life to not serve you faithfully great Father of mankind. Facing damnation to be converted of a hell, or remain loyal, I choose die now to spare myself the doubts to never turn. Forgive me God-Emperor, I choose to die a loyal son before considering to fall as a barbaric twisted heretic..."_ I clenched both eyes shut trying to muster what little sanity to go through with it yet I didn't want to die. But if I chose to die now then it's all be over, I didn't dare to argue it terrified myself to willingly die. Sharply inhaling I opened my eyes ready to scream as a brain finally snapped to never live an existence to bring destruction or agony onto those who believed in the Father of Mankind!

Both jaws descended rapidly only as an unexpected loud voice penetrated my ears! Literally an inch separated two sets of teeth from cutting a muscle in twain as a familiar person seemingly spoke absolutely irritated, " _Don't even you_ _ **dare**_ _follow through on what you're thinking to do!"_ Blinking stupidly I couldn't even move my jaw anywhere, I swore I felt a tingle creeping underneath clothing to freeze all commands to a brain. Trying to move any limb became nearly impossible as I heard much to undeniable shock Tartarus's less then pleased voice filtered through both ears, " _I can willingly tolerate an acolyte under myself as an irrational idiotic simpleton, ignorance from one as young as you are child is amusing, but making a choice to die before I exact any suitable discipline upon you is absolutely unacceptable."_ Trying to reply back seemed pointless based on how annoyed I'd heard my teacher speaking. Truthfully I almost wanted to cry out of sheer desperation in order to beg her to die because I couldn't bare to come to terms with what I'd endure on these monster's whims, but unfortunately mercy wasn't a common blessing.

" _Stop losing yourself in these pitifully useless feelings due to a mere few broken bones Marcos!"_ She warned ominously which sounded much clearer as time passed on by. I looked over towards the three armored monsters who were discussing something inaudible as if a sense called hearing couldn't understand their words! I nearly panicked while Tartarus's irritation seemingly grew with my genuine clueless questions, " _If you continuously try my patience for your inept rambling I will destroy any notion in having you willingly speak again."_ I adhered to simply focus on breathing since a gut feeling told me she was joking, or merely bored. Anger became all too palpable once I stared hopelessly into an orange skyline again. This planet's sun gleamed ominously while waiting for what my teacher of an Inquisitor had said her piece.

After a moment I heard Tartarus almost condescendingly approve of my obedience, " _Fear is just as an effective tool as respect to command those under you. Yet that's another lesson for another time!"_ My body got dragged briefly before I found myself flung towards a statue's base. Apart from a dull thud I miraculously blinked disbelieving in feeling nothing but a dull stinging sensation? Throne I had to be going mad since I'd been engulfed minutes earlier in an inferno of anguish! Unsurprisingly the Inquisitor's tone came very close to approaching sarcasm, " _Your greatest asset and you waste it on pointless details! Your senses are only as such only if you allow them too, Throne I should have kept you back on the ship if I could have foreseen this irritating inconvenience, never again am I going to doubt you'd be this brainless."_ Shocked naturally I tried to ask what that meant yet I got pulled to stare right up into an amused armored monster's face. Two reddish pupils were being openly curious along with a serpent extruding from it's mouth tantalizing as it slithered left to right.

" _Your hearing is under my discretion acolyte."_ The Inquisitorial woman revealed somewhat bored once I felt a slight tingle going down my spine again. She explained very quickly to make those suicidal thoughts disappear into a fearful clarity, _"Do well to remember I warned you previously to block everything your hear out. You're an enticing target to influence a psyker as young as you are, where is that thing you call a brain, you couldn't follow simple instructions and as a result you're carelessly leaving your mind exposed."_ I noticed her voice got louder and louder almost as if Tartarus were standing right in front my very eyes. Everything seemed so surreal I nearly passed out in a blissful revelation that I wasn't normal, I technically had burned something just as fowl back when I ran into the Inquisitor herself. Throne of Terra I wanted to vomit due to how insanely quick I descended into blinding horror and panicked in not using something completely out of this reality.

The condescendingly tone barely contained its approval once it followed up with slow deliberate clapping. Somehow I got an overly confident assumption Tatartus seemingly sounded civil, " _Stop fretting. Ignorance and inexperience on your studies as a psyker lies in my faults, in time we'll correct them, but for now you must remain strong willed."_ I steeled all muscles once I locked eyes with a black armored creature not refusing to cover before it. My teacher merely gave me a singular objective, " _Remain strong and defiant to those who seek to corrupt you my dear apprentice. I'll be along very shortly to assist, so do what must to survive..."_ Her instructions were cut off immediately once I got hoisted to dang several feet above the bloodied mud. Breathing heavily though a noise in order to keep my mouth closed to avoid a repeat violation of that damnable serpent called a tongue trying to consume a heart beating underneath flesh.

"My, my, my. You're full of pleasant surprises aren't you boy?" This vile daemonic creature of a woman in warped armor mused tilting her head interestingly. I briefly glanced behind seeing her two companions kneeling in some crudely bloodied drawn circle and they had knives cutting themselves while gasping out in either twisted pleasure, or demented pains speaking words I couldn't understand. Again two pupils brightened considerably, "You've stopped making that beautiful noise so suddenly, I must say perhaps you truly are a great gift given to me, by our Dark Prince." Renewed by words of a teacher who was either going to kill me immediately, or possibly do a lot of painful lessons to determine acting rashly wasn't without consequences then proceed to kill me, so resigned I merely grinned to provoke it. Somehow whether it'd be confidence, or my lack of self-concern I got a creature extremely intrigued.

Exposing a serpent which hissed rather aggressively dark forward to encircle my neck. Briefly I imagined it to have it's own forked tongue tasting flesh appetizingly. In some sick sense this creature's voice sounded warped yet words were capable to be used, "Keep resisting the inevitable child. No matter how much you _struggle_ , I'll break you to open yourself to pleasures and power you can never achieve serving that corpse on it's throne." Damn scales coiled tightening around my own neck forcing me to inhale rapidly through nostrils nearly being smothered by unnatural blackish hair. I barely could see light through those inhumane strands to grasp that jagged rock again. Angling an arm back enough to unleash a reserved act of defiance, I leaned over to the right as that serpent tongue tried to worm its way past sealed lips.

It's constant hissing grew in volume until tunneling past the corner of my lips. I snarled in allowing both sets of teeth to chomp down hard on a serpent which screeched in panic, "Fecking burn bitch!" Yanking wildly left to right came to reward once I heard a slight tearing of flesh being ripped as a jagged rock slammed into an exposed temple! This fresh boon of defiance spurned me to never stray away from my God Emperor's light, so without hesitation I kept biting down and rigorously tore into a being that deserved to have its soul burned. I gleefully heard an armored woman screamed in either complete shock, or possibly in unsuspecting pain once a sputtering headless serpent's decapitation drenched my own face in a misty red.

However I soon learned no action came without a damn consequence. As such I got slammed harshly onto the ground forcing me to spit out a twitching serpent's head onto a bloodied ground. Oddly enough any pain seemingly became numbly muted despite having an armored foot crushing my abdomen. Smiling in any manner possibly could have been sensibly an act of utter madness yet an expression cracked to do so without regret. Although feeling a tingle prick of a crimson sword capable of cutting through my neck nearly made me stop smiling, barely. It's owner held a look of bewilderment mixed with a heavily suppressed fury that quickly turned back into a familiar amusement. Unlike previous occasions I swore those eyes were almost burning themselves in those fowl sockets on this woman's face.

"You and I are going to have quite some fun times child, I promise you." She stated sweetly as I spat out corrupted blood to sneer back purely defiant. Her serpent's tongue started to bugle considerably until a newly minted head popped outwards, it's first act was to hiss out angrily exposing two miniature fangs dripping a light green droplets, I knew it'd betrayed it's hosts facade of an expression. Somehow the only good hand capable of creating a fist firmly held onto the jagged rock like a lifeline, I stared justifiably hateful into those pair of eyes whose glinting hues merely grew brighter. Ever so sharply an inhumane twisted face carefully to study what it perceived as utter infatuation, "You're never going to make my interest wane in you child. I'm genuinely looking forward to taking you back to a place where I can have all the time in the world to discover your passion, I will break you and find what you desire most, all in a place where I initially conquered an entire world for pleasurable perfection to our Dark Prince."

One serrated blade's edge nicked just underneath my jaw singing skin into a deepening burn. Biting back down a hiss I only managed to spit onto this armored creature's shinguard. It crouched down moving a gigantic armored foot on an opposite side barely mindful to not crush a good limb. While kneeling to press it's warped blade closer to cutting an exposed throat, I swore a wave of numbing nausea gripped my stomach which churned violently. Disbelievingly I tried to lean away from a tenderly placed digit covered in armor tracing down my neck as I heard it practical coo in delightful anticipation, "Praise my Prince child because your eyes are enchantingly...devious. I've always held a fondness for those with green which always signified a pure soul whose strength demands that I break them into my will." She appeared to shudder openly expectant as that vile serpent of a tongue started to uncurl to descend aggressively hissing towards me. Throne it knew better then to try to violate a throat when its old head lay not even a few scant feet away.

A newly minted serpent reared itself as ready to strike once it centered itself between my eyes. I refused to blink when it lunged forward and I braced myself mentally to experience an agony going beyond all known limits. Yet a stream of heat zipped to smash itself through the serpent serving it and striking an open wound through an armored abdomen. The once horrified monstrosity shrieked painfully due to a blessed round burning its way through vile armor once blessed by the Emperor's most holy purity seals and by those praising his light. Gasping shock I craned backwards to see a smoking bolt pistol in the hands of Sister Anora herself, I realized even while upside down her face looked absolutely enraged. Apparently she had witnessed whatever fowl and twisted actions to fire two more shots sending a blackened creature off me quickly.

"Dare not to touch him again you vile disgusting heretic!" Anora snarled stalking forward firing another shot providing myself an incentive to move. Digging an elbow I practically kicked with half a functional body to wiggle forward as a dark laughter erupted seemingly to when anyone relished their natural feelings. An unworldly grueling grip crushed my literal broken leg forcing dragging me back forcefully as I rasped out a shriek when pain refused to be dampened. Eyes straining from numerous tears I swore that I refused to be used like some damned shield, so I started to wildly and blindly smashing a jagged rock against the creature's armor who merely clamped down on its intended target. Being twisted casually to face Anora whose helmet had been discarded, I watched her expression shift from a fearful uncertainty into a blatant hatred whose very glare could have burned flesh alone.

Gentle vibrations originated from a delightful humming as a chin propped itself on a shoulder. I shuddered disgusted when my captor spoke directly next to an ear deliberately, "Such powerful emotion you carry for a child. Is he yours perhaps, or rather..." Honestly both eyes tightly closed when a hissing serpent started to wrap around my again, I could literally feel its forked appendage taste flesh underneath a sweating jawline, "...you care enough to fear for him? Isn't that a very naughty and forbidden thing to cling too my fellow Sister?" An eager serpent hissed exceptionally loud as it coiled itself around me to start choking off air when I feebly elbowed gasped for oxygen. Unable to do anything except to wheeze in air, somehow in rare show of natural anger I managed to struggle an inch, or two at best.

"Take your words you traitorous _blight_ and have them when the great Father of mankind purges your very soul before his gaze." Forcefully take in heaving gulps of air managed to keep an awareness to have that jagged rock tightly clenched. Lightly maneuvering said object became a hassle as my head got forced back when a serpent tantalizingly wanted to bury itself down a throat again, "Oh isn't that very scary. Such loathing I see yet it's wasted for that pitiful corpse you maidens dedicate yourselves too, I also felt such devotions until my Dark Prince uplifted me to see true perfection." It laughed so simply as I strained to see figures moving behind the livid Sororitas who thumbed her chain sword in a warning. However several black uniformed Inquisitorial troopers with their las-guns were cautiously flanking around as several other surviving Sororitas were starting to move out of the cathedral's entrance.

"My, my, my how time seems to flow like a river." The humming monster holding me captive began to muse a bit nostalgically, "Order of our Martyred Lady...I do like to forget those miserable days praying to a corpse and not indulging myself when I desired it so." An armored finger began to lightly trace a small circle along my sternum while feeling an inhaling intake of breath. My very flesh felt it being inhaled upon forcing my own will to actually openly gag. Between being handled effortlessly like some twisted toy churn internal guts to nearly retch, or rather imagining what was going to happen me, I shuddered when that serpent retracted finally. Truth be told I mentally thanked the God Emperor for a small mercy to be enacted.

Slowly bringing an overly warm jagged piece of granite level with my own chest, I prepared myself whenever I had a chance to stab a monster in its eye socket. Anora's sharp gaze followed it momentarily as she moved carefully to her left trying to get an angle. Yet a monster went opposite in blocking said angle to laugh very condescendingly, "Why do you not shoot us Sister of the Bloody Rose? I'll help you to find out where a little black heretical heart is beating, it is right..." Its armored finger slyly slid up to where my own chest heaved up and down rapidly to cruelly align two hearts, "...here! Go ahead and pull that trigger to cleanse what many among you misguided maidens have long sought out too accomplish." Gleefully tapping where I felt my own heart rate increase I knew it wanted to bait Sister Anora to charge as one serrated blade tapped itself against the ground. Gathering what little composure I retained I managed to croak out throats clutching a granite clump like a lifeline to maintain sanity.

Rasping out words which startled both monster and mentor, "Shoot...it." Tightening knuckles that were popping I said it again to make it very clear, "Shoot. It...please." Anything else I tried to say got smothered when an armored gauntlet covered my own mouth. But both eyes were staring intently forward not willing to flinch when Sister Anora subtly trembled, I knew only due to her training me in close combat combative drills while in the chapel's inner sanctum. Darkly amused, or evilly aroused I heard a low chuckle disturbingly tickled an ear lobe due to its hot breath exhaling enjoying what I just said.

"See how much your child struggles maiden of the Bloody Rose!" This creature proclaimed almost lovingly as it forcefully pulled me back into its armored chest plate, "Pure valiance! Simply untapped potential masking a perfection that will have many witness him rise beyond any who've been sent to _arrest_ or _destroy_ me! I offer my compliance only if obey your precious child's pleas my fellow sister, you obey him and you shall ascend into perfection to grant yourself satisfaction whenever you so desire it." Throne my eyes went wide fearfully aware now to see a hidden ploy at work. Something in this monster's words caused Anora to physically falter briefly and I got a sense of dread in knowing I acted similar not too long ago to something a lot worse. Struggling feverishly I started screaming to stop her from saying a word yet the muffled noises weren't able to dissuade since her mouth tightened into a thin line.

" _Feck! Fecking grox shit, please Sister Anora don't listen to it!"_ I shrieked internally trying to avoid panicking as I barely could twitch my own skull. Snarling underneath an armored gauntlet I desperately tried to think clearly, " _Think Marcos, think damn you! I don't have any weapon except for a blasted rock, so use that and try to think of..."_ Hot fiery sensations of realization struck me harder than I experienced in what this monster had physically destroyed me. I wasn't normal, I wasn't normal when I heard voices and Tartarus said my mind was my greatest weapon to be used. Although I gulped uncertainly in exactly understanding how to even become a psyker, or whatever in the name of our God Emperor it was supposedly called! How I could use power with my mind and use it to snap Anora out of its vile grasp?

Almost instantly in coming to those terms a mildly impressed teacher of mine's presence returned to speak. Now I must have been going absolutely mad only because Tartarus's voice returned ever so approvingly, " _Perhaps I misjudged you too early. It seems you do have a brain and perhaps its your first rational decision without being clouded by emotions, I might need to sit down once this is all over after all."_ Maybe her amusement triggered a little thing I swore to be anger, I viciously clamped down to stop myself from screaming. Instead I forcefully managed to ask what I needed to do in order to do anything fecking useful, or risk seeing someone I cared for to fall into these creature's will. It downright shamed and disgusted my own sense of understanding to have considered words meant to damn me eternally.

"What say you maiden of Mina's Bloodied Rose?" I heard it say temptingly causing Anora to lower her bolt pistol, "Will you shoot myself and your righteous martyr's heart to be stained in a _holy_ act of your precious corpse Emperor? Blood never lies what it hides, all perfection is never anything but raw truth and you yourself even now are hesitating, only because such an act is just martyrdom worthy to keep faith to that pitiful thing we're to believe is a God..." My ears were nearly bleeding due to sheer heretical words being spoken and once it hit me, God Emperor protect me because I couldn't stomach it anymore. Clutching that piece of granite I shifted to feel an overly warm chin and without hesitation I snapped an arm forward to collide with an unmistakable flesh. Something distinctly popped, or cracked as an unprepared scream of genuine pain preceded my descent to crush face first into blood soaked mud.

Wincing when trying to move to avoid suffocating I barely heard Sister Anora scream as a chain sword roared to life. Rolling over I witnessed a surreal image of one blessed chain sword grinding furiously against the unholy monster's blade sending orange sparks anywhere. Yet it only used one due to it cupping a bleeding face and I smirked tiredly in seeing a bloodied rock, I guess I had punctuated an eyeball of all things which was a fortuitous miracle. Two armored clad beings were locked as a singular reddish pupil narrowed angrily in a first openly shown humane emotion, but I knew it looked directly right into my hateful sneer. If I hadn't doubted beforehand on dying painfully, well then I'd take a wild shot to assume a monster wanted to tear me apart now. However naturally my entire body wanted to rest, I felt it in every minuscule movement called twitching, I swore every part of flesh screamed to stop and I adhered to it finally.

Anora unleashed several remaining bolt rounds managed to penetrate an armor who user rasped out in either agony, or bliss. An unnatural strength sent an enraged Sororita stumbling back just as a serrated crimson blade nearly decapitated her own skull off her shoulders. Ducking underneath its massive length a bolt pistol spent its entire magazine sending the blackened power armor stumbling away momentarily, I noticed an ear crackling sizzling series of flakes due to molten metal seeping outwards. Each weapon's edge gruelingly met in a shower of sparks as serrated teeth belonging to Sister Anora's chain-sword fell short to grind against its intended target. Whirling screeches of mechanisms inside a blessed instrument of the Emperor started to fail, I stared in an exhausted terror to see one blacked leg send a hunched over Sororita with an expression of pure hatred. They immediately clashed once direct eye contact was made in one quick moment, I inhaled quickly trying to ward off tremors filtering upwards into my spine through a damp ground to know powerful forces were at work.

The bolt pistol got tossed aside when Anora grappled to lock her adversaries arm. All in order to angle her chain swords to barely cut into an exposed hip. Serrated teeth churned relentlessly intent on cutting through twisted and corrupted armor yet I heard clearly a gleeful laugh, "Such raw hatred! I'm starting to get an impression you not only care for that little one..." Two power armor users locked together as I saw the black haired creature lean forward to whisper something. Whatever got spoken made Anora scream zealously enraged to take a solid knee to her armored abdomen as blessed metal immediately dented loudly upon impact! My own fecking heart betrayed me in seeing an impression crushing a friends body inwards forcefully making her spit out blood briefly to shake off said hit. Although the monster grinned once it performed an inhumane feat of flexibly and agility kicking out both legs under Anora with one might sweeping action.

I watched a shocked Sister of Battle who wasn't expecting it hit the mud with an audible splat. Barely catching herself another metallic foot slammed directly against an exposed rib-cage, I thought I heard bones cracking at first in a growing panic yet it only originated due to crushing an armored carapace instead. Glancing around trying to figure out where those Inquisitorial troopers were doing with Anora being thrown around and soon enough found out why. Several among them currently were being rushed by cultists who'd been waiting behind hedges or in the Emperor's very shadow. Somehow I used some common sense to assume the black armored monster merely wanted to draw others into a killing ground of sorts. There wasn't going to be anyone who be able to help Sister Anora in her fight, or really even myself as another induced brutal stomp crushed blessed armor yet this time around I heard an overly familiar anguished scream.

Blinded by rage or perhaps raw pain I watched a chain sword get crushed into the ground with little effort. Now starting to grow anxious I nearly yelped when Tartarus's voice came back warning me irritably, " _Marcos do not lose control. You have to keep your emotions focused and clear, or you risk attracting even more dangers to your rectifiable mind."_ Disbelief surged to kindle a burning fury to do anything to prevent this barbaric creature stomping on a downed Sorortias. It wasn't even a single leg stride or two away and I was supposed to be a helpless damnable grox to watch someone I cared for to die? Biting down all efforts to throw a bloodied piece of granite to catch a monster's attention, I retorted hissing into open air, "What can I do? Please tell me I can do anything to stop this...this nightmare Tartarus, please!" I pleaded wholeheartedly making a humming flood both ears as cruel laughter became blatantly bemused in beating down an enemy.

" _Nightmares imply you're not aware nor are you awake to control what you perceive is to be real."_ I heard her lecture casually as I watched trembling in seeing Anora being crushed alive. The blackened creature knelt down yanking up a bruised face to stare naturally delighted, " _But more often reality is ironically as cruel as a nightmare. To many they find themselves unable to stop it, so why should I invest into a child who refuses to listen? Perhaps making you watch is a suitable price for defying my words, I haven't forgotten why you're in that situation because you openly refused to heed my authority and orders apprentice, so one must wonder if suffering as a powerless child will teach you a thing called humility."_ Blindingly numbly because fecking throne it didn't take me enough time to immediately realizing something terrible, I swore on my very soul she was deadly serious in making me watch helplessly.

God Emperor help me because I froze in sheer disbelief to know I had indeed defied my teacher of an wanted me to watch Sister Anora literally get crushed into a literal pulp of metal and broken flesh, I gritted both teeth in nearly snapping a canine tooth once a serpent tongue descend towards my friend's disgusted expression. Rage burned beneath flesh so hotly I exhaled loudly trying to stop myself from throwing my only pitiful excuse of a weapon, "You know what Tartarus, I got something interesting to say." Fear became prominent inside my own heart yet the words of a Sororita whose prayers kept it from overruling my mind. Distinctly I heard an amused tone to actually humor a subtle growth of courage, " _And what do you have to say to me about that Acolyte?"_

Remembering Sister Theresa's exact words I called upon what strength in I dared to say, "What good is a teacher who doesn't teach someone to use power to kill daemons? You make me watch Sister Anora die when I have power to do something no can't do, then I promise you by the God Emperor himself as my witness..." Taking one large breath miraculously had lifted a weight off both shoulders causing me to widely grin, "...I swear I'll show you exactly how cruel I can make a monster's nightmare become a reality." Silence met my words for a few agonizingly slow seconds as I watch a serpents tongue hissing loudly once Anora desperately had tried shoving that creature off her. But her efforts failed once words were being whispered into her ear in an eerily similar fashion to what it tried to say to me, now I knew time was short and clutching a prayer I saw that twisted crimson monstrosity of a blade angled downwards.

" _Respect can always become cruelty when masking one's doubt."_ Tartarus while not visible seemingly smiled based on how pleased her tone sounded as I glanced upwards hearing something odd. Within moments in trying to locate an origin, I witnessed an object or something large rapidly approaching from above just over this cathedral's massive God Emperor's statue, " _But I sense you aren't consumed in doubt. You have acquired a goal to always learn that power alone can easily dictate cold cruelty, or heartfelt respect when you're humbled to realize being helpless is absolutely an atrocious trait, we of the Ordos Malleus will never tolerate to exist whenever confronting nightmares of our universe in reality, apprentice."_ An ear shrieking sound started to become aware as several were staring upwards in either confusion, or apparent bliss in hearing it. But I heard an Inquisitor state ever so resolutely that to doubt her brutal assessment to treat weakness, or doubt would be anything but as an obstacle to be destroyed.

High above an aerial transporter sharply aligned to circle above as I started to make key details. It wasn't the same kind of ship we descended upon the planet's surface with, I made out las-weaponry and several markings of local Planetary Defense Forces. It was without a doubt an armed and fully functional Valkyrie! Feck my near blind stupidity to recognized it due to lessons involving famed and blooded Sorortias who had fought alongside the Imperial Guard in past campaigns. My tutors weren't above in revealing all known elements of the our God Emperor's mighty forces especially to Sister Anora, or Theresa herself when I mentioned what was used during documented historical tales involving past enshrined Saints of their own orders. As I looked upwards I came to settle on seeing a creature bringing its blade to slit a throat of someone I came to care about.

" _Power isn't given freely, nor is righteously used without understanding. What happens next is your test to cope with something you've certainly acquired but a natural taste for..."_ Waves of heat followed when Tartarus's voice seemed to spoke so clearly, I actually swore to the Emperor himself she must have been grinning, "... _pain. If you struggle against me then I will be a cruel monster, if to teach you respect, so do exactly what I'm telling you to do apprentice."_ That warning barely kept myself aware in noticing limbs starting to move on their own! Panic naturally surged when my good arm and legs started pushing themselves upward as broken bones started snapping into place beneath flesh. Gasping in sheer muted agony, I almost crushed a piece of granite when I realized Tartarus was forcing bones to realign, I felt them inch by inch forcefully shifting while sending waves of electric fire.

" _Psykers can achieve feats beyond the normalcy of humanity, so as long as your mind never breaks, I say mundane things called limitations are but moot."_ Her ever so amused voice stated as it caused my vision go white spotty flashes due to unnatural raw agony. Wincing intently witnessing crooked fingers resetting themselves by muted crunches certainly made all efforts to not scream impossible. Tears which must have been close to bloodied were falling uncontested once an I snapped down a shriek to see an ankle rigidly snap back into place, " _You remember what I asked of you back on your home world, do you not?"_ She humored an oblivious eye when I stumbled trying to use formerly shattered bones, or perhaps they were just being held together by means not of natural forces. Yet I managed to take in huge lungfuls of air in order to cope with miniature fires spreading along a leg towards an arm effectively numbing any feeling but pain!

Clutching one meager piece of rock managed to remind myself that I had natural feeling one limb. Staring hatefully towards at a black armored creature's back I raised fingers once broken and undoubtedly crooked straightened themselves with small cracks. Unintentionally I yelped briefly when reaching outwards as if grasping something skin searingly hot. Tartarus's voice sternly remained unyielding, " _Never lose focus regardless of who, or what is around you apprentice. Imagine fire so hot it'd burn your very flesh, will it to burn and use that zeal for you hatred of the daemon to fuel your will to have it exist to your whims."_ I stared endlessly snarling in seeing Anora weakly punch the black haired monster in a futile bid to stem death's grasp. My heart burned when I kept crushing this damnable rock to fuel natural pain to create an unnatural heat, I momentarily swore rapid flashes of whitish yellow were flicking near my left peripherals. Also I could help to notice everything seemed noticeably brighter for some reason.

" _Nullify every emotion that hinders you, ignore every feeling you know as pain..."_ The Inquisitor's instructions were pleasantly reasonable considering I practically started to gasp when my own palm came close to boiling itself, "... _and focus on one clear objective! Use fire as your will and weapon to destroy what stands before you!"_ Not glancing away for any reason I barely heard someone shouting, or saying a warning as the black armored creature paused immediately. I gnashed both sets of teeth feeling an absolutely inferno that once my left hand, I kept the other clenching a colder granite as a means to create something even hotter. I soon learned to battle a constant will to not scream in panic when yellowish flames trickled just below an eyelid, I managed to ignore heat less flames as if they weren't innocently licking flesh that wasn't being charred.

Heat expanded when I kept imagining a face being burned off into ashes. Exhaling sharply I grasped the only cool piece of granite to know I could go further! My gaze never left an intended monster whose metallic foot stomped Sister Anora into the ground facing its fellows. Unknowingly an arm reared back as if to throw something large enough, I felt weight and sheer heat coursing through all veins to feel it consume every sense I held. Tartarus's command filled whatever courage I held whether she intended to do so, or not, " _Condense those flames! Use your will to inspire what you seek..."_ That twisted face with those brightly lit red pupils looked right into my own and I smirked once they widened in a stunned manner, "... _and let nothing but your imagination to show that limits are nothing to consider apprentice! Now, do what you must to exact holy retribution upon heretics and daemons who stand against the Imperium of Mankind!"_ Her voice echoed loudly to make every syllable as I felt a subtle snap to know I wouldn't be powerless ever!

I'd damn my soul before everything to never remain helpless and by the God Emperor himself I wouldn't be powerless. I would guide myself to either an end, or to attain power to eradicate monsters of reality! In the end I smiled as I zealously screamed with a throwing of the flames of holy retribution, "Burn! You hear me you fecking bitch, burn!" That skin crawling sensation akin to my own arm being stretched occurred as flames shot out of my own palm like a heavy flamer, I watched in sheer fascination to see anything and everything burn whenever if I imagined it as such. By the Emperor himself I even saw the very ground churn an ugly charred black with green foliage lighting up all too easily, or seeing grass lawns turning into grayish ash and scattered piles of dust!

But when it hit a genuinely stunned black armored monster? Voluntary a loud laughter rushed past my lips to override ear shattering shrieks when the very same monster tried to smother flames that weren't of reality itself. Every fiber of what made me alive burned in absolutely seeing justice! I laughed so loudly I swore I must have gone mad when another skin tingling sensation appeared, I felt heat solidly form to fill a palm so strongly that I quickly threw it again to send that damnable monster stumbling back. Unable to control an urge to gloat zealously I shouted with blood trailing down my chin, "Scream you miserable heretic, go on keep screaming! I'll fecking burn you to ash, I swore I'd do it and every other creature who gets in my way!" I walked taking several steps forward unleashing an outlet for all this flesh charring heat that continuously kept on rekindling itself, I couldn't stop using an arm to throw actual flames when an entire reality seemingly made itself alive! Waves of heat were scorching grass whenever I took a forward and the only reason why I was able to understand was due to Anora's horrified expression.

So horrifically pronounced I actually paused once I managed to send that heretical creature back. Bruised and battered I couldn't mistake how shock she looked when a whispering damnation became clear, "By the holy father himself, you're a...a blasted witch!" Spitting out something akin to a vile aftertaste I looked away ashamed in seeing veiled disgust mirrored yet by another of the Sororitas. It almost crushed my bleeding heart in knowing she was looking at something scorned. Feck I wasn't given a choice born with these gifts to use, I only wanted to use it to protect them and to kill these damned monsters in the Emperor's name. For all I knew I wasn't just a freak of nature by chance, I was a literal freak made by nature itself for whatever reasoning and also I enjoyed it only because I wasn't so powerless anymore.

" _Don't lose focus, alright?"_ Breathing heavily I winced feeling yet more heat practically burning a palm, " _Kill this fecking bitch for twisting you and the others around! Don't allow a chance for these heretics to..."_ That line of thought snapped into oblivion itself when delightful laughter froze all blood inside veins. So delightfully ecstatic I watched with a growing sense of disbelieving disgust in seeing that black armored creature removing its hand revealing charred flesh. Flames were scorching flesh so thoroughly I swore I saw whitish bones along its cheeks until a hissing effectively snuffed out embers with a rapid flash of purple? Blinking to clear away any misconceptions I watched absolutely livid in seeing charred skin replenishing itself with no effort to heal, but I felt something _strange_ for a better lack of a word practically looming out of sight.

"By the Prince I almost forgot you were there boy, oh dear me." The armored creature mockingly scolded itself ever so bemused, "Not only are you stubborn! You have a tongue crudely full of wit, but now child..." Unable to resist shuddering uneasy when seeing a lidless eye widening to clearly expose unnaturally brightened blood vessels surrounding an actual crimson pupil glowing eerily, "...you present to me what our Dark Prince has graced me to feel absolute pleasure. Your impassioned fires only have sparked me to never release my thoughts in seeing you cry out, boy." I sneered angrily trying to ignore the fact I wasn't even close to destroying this creature! It just became so aggravating to hear it speak that I desperately wanted to it to choke on literal flames, I couldn't take it anymore and have it just get back up without fearing for it's existence.

Infuriated in seeing it stand back up smiling ever so pleased I rasped out clenching that heat in one palm, "What is it going to take to kill you! You're going to scream to that fecking Prince of yours once I find out how, by the Emperor himself do I swear it's _not_ going to save your sorry flesh when I fecking burn you alive heretic!" At this point Anora managed to get onto her feet panting loudly as I glared angrily gnashing both sets of teeth together. Surprisingly I actually imagined that I swore this creature gave me an actual look of pity, or else I had to be going mad when it replied, "You'd more or less seal your own expected fate even if you managed to kill me child. Did I ever mention to you what awakened _witches_ are entitled too whenever Sisters of any order discover them untrained or not bound to that corpse on its throne?" It asked me so obviously confident I refused to do anything except to give a look of confusion. Morbidly I chanced a glance over towards Sister Anora who looked extremely uneasy, so it actually gave an opportunity for this creature to smile cruelly.

It lifted an armored finger waving itself left to right while cooing, "Your anguish is so sweet I may actually cry in ecstasy." Two crimson pupils were growing brighter when flesh melded itself back into its default unnatural smoothness. This creature, or monster casually grinned allowing its serpent tongue to hiss deceptively amused, "You fight so valiantly in order to defend maidens. Maidens of an order who'll burn you alive child as much as I, for sure they'll purify you in 'holy' flame in that corpses name as it's righteously adhered when discovering witches." Grinding both teeth to avoid falling under those words temptations I couldn't fight an urge off, I again turned to stare at Anora who actually looked genuinely serious. Even while feeling heat center of my own palm I stared pleadingly trying to hold onto hope that this monster's words weren't true, I may do things as Tartarus mentioned but would they really kill me for being a psyker?

The black armored creature laughed abruptly hoisting it's blade over a shoulder to gleefully point out an obvious truth, "Your silence to your child's stare is merely damning dear sister." Anora snarled openly while drawing out an actively humming chain sword to step forward blocking my view, "Such passion I sense in you, I'm impressed you'd defend him even with what your order preaches and I have to say it's so heart warming to see such devotion when not to a corpse on a throne. Perhaps you do actually care for him when such attachments are forbidden?" Evidently I watched a red suit of power armor angle itself with a user ready to charge, I numbly lifted a palm that currently held an actual burning ball of flames. An entire sphere roughly fit snug to see flicking coloration's of yellowish orange and occasionally it licked into a pure white to have my own mind realize I was maintaining it's existence in reality.

Trying to understand how wasn't exactly simply yet it actually became once I lightly tapped it with my own finger tips. Small sensations of warmth tickled past a palm up into a forearm and I actually imagined it growing larger. Now that I took a brief lull from any distractions, I tried to create an enclosed fist but the flaming ball grew larger without even thinking about it! Owlishly staring I looked upwards noticing faint orange like streams _curling_ through the air as if it were a watery river? Anything and everything became brighter once I narrowed trying to see images faintly appearing and they were human shaped once I looked down seeing a corpse leaking some sort of coloration. I had no idea exactly what I had to be seeing yet these streams, or whatever were moving towards somewhere off behind my right shoulder, so following the source I actually turned around to suddenly have an inkling to stop breathing.

Heretics and other creatures who were aligned with a monster hadn't been idle. I stared trying to make sense as they were kneeling down and speaking in words I couldn't understand fully. Those swirling streams were condensing around their kneeling forms, I felt a chill run up my back once one took a knife to cut into itself sending rivets of blood seeping onto the ground. Following it's course dimly aware of metal clashing nearby, I never needed to look away from something incredibly wrong, I had all tingles running down my spine to ignore Anora and that monster fighting. Another danger became clear once one of them actually had turned to notice my frozen expression. If I wasn't going mad earlier in seeing all these strange details, I realized it'd only be the beginning once a kneeling heretic actually did something to make myself go wide eyed.

One of them winked right before as a knife engraved in runes similar to eight pointed stars were used to slit their own throats! Not a moment past when two opposing bodies were drenching each other in blood as I got an entire clarity to see why! Those orange like streams suddenly descended from above snaking their way around soon to be dying heretics who expressions were mixed of orgasmic bliss and utter bewilderment once I stumbled back when humanoid forms appeared around them. They weren't humane in any sense as horns, or twisted crude appendages called arms in which I tried to form a cohesive word to apply too had nothing yet they stood like humans all the same. Two heretic bodies immediately let out silent wails that were met by convolutions and they arched their backs to have bones snapping in a dreadful sympathy of a tune, I nearly vomited because it actually sounded like a depraved music of sorts.

While staring I heard an entirely different voice slither it's way into existence," _ **Do you like what you see?**_ " Feeling suddenly ill I shook off an oncoming headache seeing one of those woman stand up while contorting violently, yet I noticed an arm shifting dangerously exposing raw muscle and skinless pinkish flesh as it churned into an insect like pincer? Bones before my very eyes snapped apart into splinters as a horn grew out of the left side of the skull when newly minted orange slit pupils snapped open grinning, " _ **I think he's shy sister, even I can't stop staring at you either.**_ " These voices weren't the same when comparing them to what I encountered, I blinked when they seemed to be watered down versions if I had to guess. They weren't natural due to how innocently murderous their expressions gave off as horns sprouted around two formerly alive heretics in a twisted crone and clothing burst into a small burning flames revealing a perfectly twisted body to be considered as a female?

Smiles widened to show sharpened teeth akin to predatory and it suddenly became all too clear. These weren't humane, or anything natural because they were daemons! I watched them stand up stretching as if trying to adjust themselves accordingly and one of them actually cupped one of its breasts to enticingly coo at my terrified gaze. It spoke moving a mouth to heard verbally yet somehow I found speaking to me internally, " _ **My, my, my."**_ Walking forward swaying hips side to side became lost on me when a pincer like claw got licked by a serpent like tongue, " _ **Our great Prince is awaiting you to speak the name of your ascension child, oh you're so delicious I might actually take a bite out of you.**_ " I nearly yelled out in sheer fright knowing they were deliberately taking their time! I practically almost lost my stomach when they were occasionally stepping over corpses crushing faces delightfully giggling, or ripping out entrails to wrap around their own necks!

Both held knives in opposite hands not looking like a twisted nightmare of limbs yet their horns were dripping bloodied droplets. Tongues were lapping them up akin to a person who was desperate to drink water, " _Tartarus! Daemons, I don't fecking believe it, but there are daemons here now!"_ I cried out backing away from two hungry inhumane gazes as their teeth lengthen while chewing on organs being ripped open like some demented gallery. God Emperor help me because I nothing except a literal bloody rock and possibly fire to stand up these demented twins of daemons, I snarled angrily trying to stop myself from sprinting. I held no illusions to imagine they'd outrun me regardless of what bones were broken, or not as this nightmare called reality just went completely fecking mental! Apart of me wanted to say it couldn't be real to some aspect but I knew I wasn't that insane yet to lose it totally to stand my ground.

" _ **Such devoted shells we've acquired sister, perhaps these mortals aren't so petty after-all."**_ One daemon remarked absolutely delighted as it's sibling's tongue wrapped around the bloodied soaked dagger, " _ **So gracious and self-less that I cannot refute your claim sister. I'll cut this little cutie's fingers off one at a time, these mortals are too raw to hide their more devious...passions."**_ Definitely panicked to scrambling back, I watched both sets of orange pupils narrow naturally bemused to see myself garner some distance and it all came to a halt. They eyes flashed momentarily to giggle while waving me forward, I went rigid when they spawned a sense an unnatural reluctance to get away. My tongue got nicked by a set of jaws just managing to resist that temptation altogether, I nothing to consider killing them or getting away.

Nearby a chain sword gnashed out sparks followed by an ear shatter screech futilely cutting against a blade whose user hadn't lost any of their lunacy. Anora got sent stumbling back when two reddish pupils narrowed, "Do not spoil what I intend to personally break my dears. Do not break, or spoil the boy..." Two high pitched whines of disappointment were nearly deafening as I scowled trying to shake the sound off, "...but you may _play_ around for a time. I'll be along shortly, I intend to add another sister to our lovely band for our Dark Prince!" Two identically cruel smiles appeared to make my spine tingle in a warning as they started to circle where I stood. Occasionally one would trail a pinch claw as another serpent like tongue lashed out hungrily while moving in a jeeringly hypnotic rhythm to their overly swaying hips. Much to my growing disgust and damnable fear I couldn't help but stared for a moment or two.

They weren't even naturally human once I got a closer look at them, I shivered when orange slits were occasionally shifting into something beyond monstrous. Each held a knife in an opposite limb from one another yet both pincer limbs intentionally snapped sharply. It scared me beyond anything to know these things weren't normal, I couldn't help but snarl instinctively to ward them off and their expressions changed to gleeful smiles. Harmonic giggling not as potent to what I encountered earlier became a precursor whether I knew it, or not. They were lining up angles to do whatever God-Emperor knew, I tried to block it out, but it was for naught when my own mind caved. Truly I betrayed myself to picture violent images imaging how they'd torture me, I cringed openly to feel every limb tense up while anticipating that one moment to give them cause to strike.

Suddenly I realized what heat I held inside my own palm ceased to exist once it flicked out of sight. Two daemons grinned universally pleased, " _ **You're so fearful aren't you child?"**_ One asked cooing deceptively playful as it teasingly raised a pincer to snap the air sharply. Fecking throne I tried desperately keeping both in view yet they were circling in order to close a shortening gap as the other inhaled, " _ **I can smell your confusion boy, I can taste what delightful pleasures that are making you so terrified of my sister and I."**_ They were toying with me, I couldn't mistake it and I had nothing to drive them back once audible sounds of metal grinding together almost made both eyes wonder off them. If I did that I just knew I'd miss them, I'd end up at their whims for whatever they were trying to do and the best circumstance to this insane reality of a danger, I nearly wanted to scream in looking down to see I had nothing but a bloody piece of rock!

To my personal horror I heard Anora shriek in undeniable pain as I glanced over to see her shielded a bloodied face! But in that natural concern I realized I had made a terrible mistake, I took my eyes off two creatures who screeched eagerly in languages that weren't natural. An entire world vent vertigo once I got slammed into the ground, it became so surreal seeing anything twist, or churn by being handled so effortlessly and I shrieked as something sharp sliced across my back. Unable to force a scream to not come into existence, I dimly made a connection to know something had placed a knee upon where my spine met while face down in saturated mud. Without any mercy it stomped hard as bones were threatening to splinter once I yelled trying to swing blindly to offer a pitiful defense to shake this creature's hold off. Unfortunately I soon watched something just as terrifying because I felt ever moment as it occurred.

A clawed foot broke a formerly broken forearm back into a familiar position. Pure white fire swarming over my vision became all too apparent, I watched it crush its own heel to have myself swimming in an electric agony as it overloaded my nervous system. Even while screaming I heard overheard them chuckle so cruelly fond, " _ **I see why our Prince's champion is so glamored with this child. Such wonderful sound he creates, oh I can't help it..."**_ It'd been a daemon crushing upon my own back to lean forward, I felt it's breath above an ear lobe, " _ **...but I have to hear more of this wonderful music he makes for us. Let's us feel your pain and we shall embrace our pleasures."**_ Seeing an arm broken had been one thing, but to actually witness a pincer stabbing through the back of my own hand? If I thought pain's pinnacle had been reached, I found out by yelling and shrieking so shrilly it became but a drop of fire to which I felt crush me whole.

Disabled by an impaled creature's limb not of reality and to have another brake an arm I barely mustered enough will to just yell. My eyes were tightly closed as I heaved in air wheezing gasping breathes trying to cope with unmistakable agony. Blood freshly spilled started to run against the very fleshy cheek it'd once flowing under, I seriously wanted to die by the God Emperor's mercy in order to save myself from enduring this torturous existence called living. Somehow air blew past inflamed skin to cool it off, I swore I must have been going mad to imagine such sensations. Distantly it seemed I heard a dull roar as inhumane shrieks were coming from two creatures above myself. All pressure lifted simultaneously as I inhaled an overly amount of dirt? I coughed violently while trying to open both eyes yet they were watery due to something extraordinary.

Everything had been covered by dust being kicked up all around where I laid. Blinking tiredly I witnessed dozens of orange beams crack into existence as figures shrouded in blackened armor were storming forward unflinchingly. Greenish orbs were piercing an orange gloom of dusty concealment when the two daemons shrieked off toward my right hand side. Cradling a bloodied palm close to my chest I saw their faces being burned off, I watched limbs being singed right off their bodies and one of them literally caught flame to burn into ashes shrieking in a language not of reality's creation. But it's utter rage couldn't be masked as several figures stepped over me to toss small objects, I gasped shielding my own face to hear grenades going off. An entire ground shook so tremendously violent I actually felt myself uplifted for a split second.

Coughing violently to expel an actual lungful of dust I managed to roll over trying to be painstakingly careful in not moving a broken arm again. Staring upwards to see a circular ball of orange in the sky, I got pulled back to face an encroaching danger as I heard someone approaching due to the fact a silhouette started to emerge. Air whipped past both my ears to frequently sting sensitive skin and I almost cringed due to keeping my gaze unshielded, soon I found out what stirred up so much dirt. I barely made out a large object with reddish active propulsion engines vertically angled downwards it'd been kicking up so much dust and much to my growing disbelief, by the Emperor I swore it looked like a Valkyrie's hull or so I guessed. So fecking surreal it all became strangely uplifting once I feebly shielded small pebbles hitting my face, I nearly started to cry and laugh once I heard my teacher's amused voice.

"Is it really so shocking to bare witness daemons appearing in our reality apprentice, I do recall we are after all apart of the Ordos Malleus." Tartarus walked to stand in full view holding her hat's brim slightly forward while wielding a bolt pistol in hand ready to be used. Being shrouded in darkness I couldn't see her face exactly due to a hat yet it'd been impossible to not notice a pair of stark white eyes glowing ominously, "Yet again you foolishly open your mind to creatures who will not hesitate to claim you body, mind and soul." I assumed the Inquisitor's irritation had come full circle once she roughly got me onto my feet, I almost rasped out a muffled scream due to one broken limb. Unfortunately it seemed I received little sympathy, or rather anything considered to be mercy as her limb yanked the scuff of my own clothing in an upward motion.

Tartarus's expression barely changed as she held me suspended face to face speaking very plainly, "Disobeying my orders will _never_ become a habit of your own. Because of your brazen, irrational and ignorance attitude I'm wasting resources to secure you..." Almost with a subtle twitch I couldn't resist turning my face to stare at an inquisitorial trooper's intestines bloodily sprawled across an entire section of earth, "...and as such, I'm fluently not happy to waste lives so needlessly again Macros." She warned me very clear once her fingers started to grasp around a neck. Said neck that belonged to my quivering form as I snorted tiredly unable to ask anything. I expected to be physically crushed, or possibly sent flying back yet my Inquisitorial teacher smirked.

Words could be heard even though her lips remained closed with a smirk in place, " _My apprentice did you not understand? I didn't state your decisions to act in such manners weren't exactly useless to I, or the Ordos Malleus as a whole."_ Between hearing snapping fire of las-weaponry and occasionally bolter pistols going in such frequent intervals made my expression remain utterly exhausted, " _Just consider yourself in our God-Emperor's favor because you've discovered something beyond a mere warp-rift on this planet. I don't reward senseless actions yet when they ultimately lead to anything of actual value to myself then it becomes different. For now I say I can...allow it to slide for now."_ Her expression seemingly grew into an unexpected smile yet it's been fairly possibly I considered it a fleeting gesture once she brought both eyes forward. Warily surprised I craned my own neck backwards all in an effort to notice a pair of crimson gleaming pupils meeting Tartarus's gaze.

"My, my, my..." I heard a creature ever muse thoughtfully entertained as its hulking mass of blackened power armored started to become visible, "...it seems the Great Prince has truly blessed me with numerous delights on this day." That massive blade came to perch itself on an armored shoulder and I immediately started searching for an any sign of Sister Anora. I barely held a moment until Tartarus's voice crushed any notion for hope, " _Don't even dare to take a foot in any direction apprentice. Our holy God Emperor only has enough divinity to keep you in one piece, right now prioritize this danger that stands before us, I will do what I must to have remain you in a suitable condition."_ It hurt trying to imagine any other Sororitas dead out of sight, feck I couldn't do anything remotely useful, but it honestly tore open an organ called a heart to listen to the Inquisitor's order. If praying to our holy great father of mankind was my only option then I'd do so with a grieving heart to hope for the best.

The Inquisitor merely stepped past my silent form fully intent on combating a monster who had an inability to suffer. I distinctly watched her pull out a glowing blade off her back while keeping a bolt pistol at the ready. Despite closing a relatively small gap between us my teacher spoke absolutely not amused, "Save your praises and prayers when you're judged by the God Emperor himself, heretic. I'll have an honor in sending you on your way personally." For once a sneering hiss of either anger, or revolting disgust made itself known, "And you dare to assume you'd be powerful enough to come through on that promise?" I pegged a monster to be insulted as Tartarus merely snorted loud enough to not even consider a reply to fairly idiotic question. How in the name of the Emperor she could remain so aloof or calm, truly it started to eat away towards a fleeting imagination that I could do something like that, well so into my future as well?

Two white orbs met a black haired creature's crimson pupils as it sneered openly, "I'd recognize your arrogance by its mere sight, am I right to assume...Inquisitor?" Cruel laughter mockingly got backed with jeering applause as lunacy took a hold in twisted openness, "Oh by the great prince himself! This is truly beyond perfect to be granted so many possibilities, I get to acquire an overly adorable disciple, a new sister to my band of followers and now I get to relive one of my greatest conquests." It laughed so damnably insane I couldn't relate how it'd ever been human! However its words managed to make even Tartarus grimly acknowledge a fact that shocked me to my core. God Emperor help me because I hadn't ever expected what was said next by any means of an imagination, " I'd imagine you take pride for what you've done. Your exploits in torturing a rather foolish yet an acquaintance I called of a colleague of mine is very well known."

My expression went from utterly bewildered into undeniable horror once I got a clear picture of this monster. _"What in the God Emperor's name have I been trying to...survive against?"_ An Inquisitor thumbed her blade to have it lightly make a humming sound as a pale light surrounded its edges, I got another dose of disbelief to see a creature frown briefly. Whatever weapon Tartarus held in hand managed to offer a sense of danger to ward off a creature whose intentions to seem superior in any combat to hold cautiously. As much as I wanted to continue staring I heard my teacher's voice order ever so coldly diligent, " _Crawl, or run behind yourself to the valkyrie waiting for us to depart. Right now I'll have to deal with this heretic, so do whatever suits you best apprentice."_ Too familiar with a threat I didn't dare to disobey her as much as I wanted to find out if the others were alive. Grimacing to avoid moving one shattered arm again took an effort to start getting myself off the ground while cradling a profusely bleeding palm.

Stumbling through dust became nearly a constant effort to remain standing as blood trailed down fingers that were going numb. Trying to twitch they hurt beyond belief yet it managed to keep both eyes open to see a distant shape kicking up so much loose earth. Weapons were firing just out of sight on all sides and I nearly started to lose all hearing, I dimly became aware when yellowish light suddenly engulfed itself behind. Tiredly to glance back I blinked trying to make out strips of light seeping through the dust as metal clashed together, I swore screams of rage were most prominent among all the shouts or what not. So thick this damnable dirt clouds being kicked up it hurt to breathe at times, occasionally small granite rocks were pelting torn pants to sting exposed flesh, eventually I needed to cover my own mouth to cough out a growing need to fall to the ground. Although I came to ask myself a half delirious question which not a soul could answer.

"What in the fecking God Emperor's name am I really going to do?" Throne of Terra I swore so much had happened so quickly, without any sort of understanding I couldn't comprehend exactly what had happened fully and I swore on my own sanity, I must have been going mad to assume today's events alone wasn't even close to true insanity. Perhaps losing too much blood started to shed an actual answer that made sense for once, I laughed fluently trying to cope with it all. Whatever I chose to do it ended up with someone dead, sliced in half or possibly ending up in the hands of a monster whose whims were absolutely barbaric without a doubt. Even getting close to an ear shattering scream of engines I made out several bolter pistols shots, I stopped immediately looking back over my shoulder to see an eerie glow of yellowish and orange swirling around. Whatever battle between Tartarus herself and that monster were locked into I had a hunch I wouldn't have done anything useful, I knew inside my own guts I'd have been thrashed around again.

I actually started to feel light headed when heated gusts of air caused myself to sway. Resisting all urges to vomit I looked upwards breathing heavily to keep myself straightened, "I fecking hate coming to this planet." Whispering vindictively angered in being tossed around so easily, I couldn't stand to be so powerless and useless anywhere ever. Being a liability back in the darkened alley ways of the under hive city spelled a nasty end, I shuddered imagining nights in seeing homeless hivers being gutted for food by things less then fully human. Fortunately I actually started moving forward clutching a blooded tightly against ruined soaked cloth yet I'd become stronger. I'd become something dangerous so nothing in my way would be able to stand on two legs, I'd burn them into fecking pieces, I'd gun all these heretical bastards down and nothing would dare to tempt me to turn away from the God Emperor's light ever again.

Glaring hatefully I actually witnessed blurred silhouettes approaching along with several glowing green eyes. They were rather bright enough to make me wince, I may have been momentarily blinded yet a clear synthesized voice due an internal modulator behind a mask spoke up, "Acolyte Eius. Inquisitor Tartarus sent word we're to secure you and any survivors to get off planet effectively immediately." These were possibly the same Inquisitorial troopers who I met outside during her private study, I felt they weren't so cold yet were holding leveled weapons. Without any doubt I'd say that those weapons alone weren't exactly standard lasrifles, but to avoid anymore trouble I nodded to offer a weak tired smile. Under my own strength I stumbled to move around an inner ear shattering roar to be lead towards where I be sent off planet. One of them actually had a gloved hand to firmly guide me, I swore it must have been more akin to keeping myself from running, so I ignored any thoughts mainly out of sheer exhaustion.

Truthfully I wanted to sleep like a dead man for possibly forever after today. Coming up alongside a semi hovering transport I watched a door slide over to see an interior, I noticed it had been occupied and I immediately recognized Sister Theresa! She looked extremely pale and a few other Sororitas were bloodied yet they were obvious alive as I ducked my head praising the Emperor's grace. The two Inquisitorial troopers must have noticed because one of them reported their conditions, "You have our God Emperor's blessing, we just received them from the cathedral and currently are mopping up any enemy forces Acolyte. As long as they reach our ship, I do believe they'll live." The tone of this man wasn't meant to be gentle but I tearfully prayed graciously thanking him and the Emperor altogether as I slid into the compartment with the two getting in as well. It seemed they have been escorts, or overseers to make sure I didn't run off yet I couldn't give a damn otherwise.

Each Sororitas had been propped up against an interior wall vertically in stretchers yet they were breathing to signify themselves living. Despite already being cramped I noticed another trooper tending to their wounds who looked up to see my own bloodied palm and an obviously shattered forearm, I weakly shuffled over towards Theresa to see her panting heavily. Freshly minuted scars were aligned cruelly to overlap on her face, I nearly felt devastated in seeing an expose jawbone and by all rights she looked absolutely terrible, feck me I almost started to cry when her notable tattoo had been removed. Yet throughout it all, they were alive to see another day to smite those who stood against the Emperor's light and I could live with what I had done. Numbly aware in feeling an inquisitorial trooper wrapped a profusely bleeding stab wound remained blissfully superseded by praying to the Emperor for his mercy and grace to see those who I cared for to remain living.

Once a hand had been tightly bandaged I allowed my head to fall back, I felt so drained literally. Regardless I smiled faintly when I looked up to see the soldier stick a syringe of sorts right into an broken arm as a subtle warmth trickled its way up my spine. Both eyelids became utterly heavy when I started to fall sleep, I felt happier for some reason and the trooper cautiously lifted the shattered limb in order to splint it accordingly. Nothing seemed to hurt, I barely contained a weak laugh yet I leaned back to allow an oncoming darkness to sweep me into a welcomed blissful unconsciousness. Although right before I went under I blinked only once in seeing a familiar servo-skull hovering opposite of where I lay with a singular red eye, an eye glowing bright red just before dimming into a normal, startled once I realized it clicked.

Skit had been recording every moment without me knowing. Perhaps I should have been concerned, or remotely frightened to have my familiar acting without orders. But for the God Emperor's mercy I put aside those thoughts to smile happily in seeing the servo skull functional and unharmed as well. It never ceased to amaze me what a machine's spirit could invoke as grateful, I wanted to ask if he was well but it became impossible as I slumped forward. In the end I could only be happy in knowing everything I cared for survived today so with one last thought I gave a singular prayer to the Emperor for his will of mercy, " _Thank you great Father of Mankind for sparing your daughters and in return I shall never falter to destroy any daemon, heretic or alien in your name. That is my vow to you for answering my prayers, blessed be to your Imperium and to your ever lasting light."_

 **End Chapter Nine**

 **Author's Note:** Before anyone asks in why he didn't obliterate the person in question into dust, well I'll have to say having someone pushing a psyker to use their own power isn't without effects. Until our character actually tries to willingly tap into what makes him powerful, it's a watered down version and to be fair it'd certainly rush things for having him go unfettered/push to possibly have something in the warp attract its attention onto him. Least right now it's fairly grounded and believable for an untrained psyker to at least push himself to go beyond human limits, I mean having broken bones mended or at least popped back into place aren't enough to push too many boundaries. As much as I ended this first mission with a saving grace, I seriously doubt you or I could expect this kid to really do anything between an Inquisitor and a fallen Sister in power armor which regenerates flesh, or wounds so generically rapidly it have been ridiculous to say he could do anything at all. Trust me the day will come when we see our character actually do something incredibly worthy of Warhammer 40,000. **  
**

Regarding the idea of suicide in the 41st millennium is a bit shady unless someone knows otherwise. Personally I don't know if its an actual sin by the Imperium or perhaps a mercy to oneself when dealing with Chaos or daemons as a whole. But as a whole I can say currently Marcos is a believer, not an actual zealous one yet you still see signs of a practical/realistic human of the Imperium who hasn't been totally converted. I don't like writing zealot like characters too much as a main character, but personally it's always fun to write them when they're needed, or used in proper manners to showcase the dogma of humanity in its absolute glorious destruction of the enemies of mankind. At this point in time I can say again, our character's view on the Emperor (well the belief every act of will, or luck is blessed by said man on Throne) will inevitably change into something a bit more...grim, or shall I say numbed too eventually. Why you ask, or perhaps how this mentality will change due to an Inquisitor's stance on key issues.

The big question you'll have to keep in mind, as well as myself, is Tartarus's own alignment in the Inquisition's internal affairs. Bluntly put the constant rivalry, or hatred of Puritans and Radicals. I won't say too much about this Inquisitor but you'll see a few on each side, I mean you could try to argue what Marcos's teacher could potentially stand upon with the information I've already offered in previous chapters. But that's another subject later down the line when you see some really dark and shifty things in the Holy Inquisition of the Imperium, I do plan on eventually skimming a few unsavory subjects the Inquisition just loves to implement whenever anyone catches wind of their activities. So let's move onto the Sororitias themselves, oh boy I bet many of you are either sadistic enough to see the results of when an untrained and unsanctioned psyker is taught by them.

I do know many Sisters of Battle are pure unreasonable fanatics to the Emperor, the average one is so zealous it's utterly bemusing to imagine them not as such. Thankfully I'm pretty sure they're all zealots yet their is a rare moderate. In this case its called actions, Marcos has gone beyond the call of duty and expectations when risking his own life to save them, so expect a tampering of 'tolerance' to show he isn't against the Emperor's light. Hell, I'm pretty sure they'll give him the benefit of the doubt with what he's already done, and what his intentions are to continue learning under them. After all children aren't exactly subtle when they want attention, or rather want to earn praise from those they latch onto, as I think someone may forget he's still a kid. So his genuine youth and age do work along side with the Sister's beliefs in seeing him for as long as they've known him to study, to unwavering pray and continuously devote himself to destroying the enemies of the Mankind. Least that's how I'm rationalizing it, he literally got his body wrecked multiple times fighting for them and alongside them, so you have to give credit when it's actually grudgingly acknowledged.

Now regarding exactly as to _who_ had been tossing him around, or the black power armor person? There's a reason why I was so deliberate to avoid dropping a name, I mean in the lore you can easily figure out who yet that's not the point. Mystery works when its very well placed, I like to think and hopefully assume you do, that trying to imagine something stalking you in this universe isn't a good thing. Or rather it's not a healthy life choice to have someone trying to claim you body, mind and soul for an entity whose name invokes pleasure and pain: case in point the Chaos God Slaanesh. Now do your research and there's only one answer to who this person is currently, yet ironically said person isn't even _considered_ to be insanely powerful, hell I mean this is only a minor tier champion based on Warhammer 40,000 standards if I were trying to be respectful. Either way, next chapter I will reveal the name just to impart knowledge on both our character and your own curiosity if people are still confused...unlikely as it sounds.

Well I got nothing else to say, so hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please leave reviews. I happily enjoy seeing them appear whenever I write this story, so as such I wish you all well and to have a good day.


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